Intestinal Fatty Acid Binding Protein Levels in Pediatric Celiac Patients in Transition From Active Disease to Clinical and Serological Remission

• Published in: JPGN reports Vol. 2; no. 2; p. e070
• Main Authors: Hoofien, Assaf, Guz-Mark, Anat, Zevit, Noam, Tsadok Perets, Tsachi, Assa, Amit, Layfer, Olga, Matar, Manar, Nachmias-Friedler, Vered, Silbermintz, Ari, Shamir, Raanan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 01.05.2021
• Subjects: Gastroenterology: Celiac Disease; Original; celiac; follow-up; noninvasive diagnosis; markers; children; enteropathy
• ISSN: 2691-171X; 2691-171X
• DOI: 10.1097/PG9.0000000000000070

Celiac disease (CD) is increasingly diagnosed without endoscopy. As such, the need for accurate serological markers to aid in the diagnosis and follow-up of CD has increased. Intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) is a cytosolic protein present in enterocytes, whose blood levels reflect mucosal damage in a reliable and quantifiable way. The aim of this study was to compare I-FABP levels in newly diagnosed patients with CD and to examine changes in levels following 6 months of gluten-free diet (GFD). A prospective observational case control study of pediatric patients diagnosed with CD, with measurements of tissue transglutaminase IgA (TTG-IgA) and I-FABP levels at diagnosis and after 6 months of gluten free diet were compared to a control group of nonceliac patients. This study included 35 patients and 32 controls. The CD group had higher I-FABP levels at diagnosis compared with the control group (median 641.7 pg/mL versus 334 pg/mL;  < 0.05). I-FABP levels significantly differed between patients presenting with TTG-IgA level 3-10 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) compared with those presenting with values >10 times ULN (median 432.2 pg/mL versus 796.2 pg/mL;  < 0.05). Patients with CD had a significant decrease in median I-FABP levels after 6 months of GFD (median 268.2 pg/mL), paralleling a decrease in TTG-IgA and GFD adherence. I-FABP levels are increased in patients with CD at diagnosis compared with controls and decrease significantly while patients adhere to GFD.