The effect of biopsy-positive silent coeliac disease and treatment with a gluten-free diet on growth and glycaemic control in children with Type 1 diabetes

• Published in: Diabetic medicine Vol. 26; no. 12; pp. 1250 - 1254
• Main Authors: Sun, S., Puttha, R., Ghezaiel, S., Skae, M., Cooper, C., Amin, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2009; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Body Height - physiology; Body Mass Index; Body Weight - physiology; Celiac Disease - blood; Celiac Disease - diet therapy; Celiac Disease - physiopathology; Child; Child Development; coeliac disease; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - physiopathology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diet, Gluten-Free; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gluten-free diet; glycaemic control; Glycated Hemoglobin A - analysis; Growth; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Type 1 diabetes; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vertebrates: endocrinology; Endocrinopathy; Deficient diet; Growth; Autoimmune disease; Coeliac disease; Intestinal malabsorption; Intestinal disease; Child; Gluten; Nutritional status; Human; Immunopathology; Obesity; Nutrition; gluten-free diet; Nutrition disorder; Metabolic diseases; Feeding; Anatomic pathology; Treatment; Surveillance; Biopsy; Type 1 diabetes; Digestive diseases; glycaemic control; Endocrinology; Glycemia
• ISSN: 0742-3071; 1464-5491
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2009.02859.x

Objective  To determine the effect of coeliac disease and treatment with a gluten‐free diet on growth and glycaemic control in asymptomatic children with Type 1 diabetes. Methods  Data were compared in children with coeliac disease diagnosed by annual antibody screening and jejunal biopsy and treated with a gluten‐free diet (n = 49) against individuals who were antibody negative (n = 49) matched for age, sex and duration of diabetes. Results  No differences in growth were observed. In the years prior to diagnosis of coeliac disease, mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was lower in cases compared with control subjects [8.3 ± 1.1% vs. 8.7 ± 0.9%, P = 0.02 (mean ± sd)]. In cases, HbA1c deteriorated 12 months from the start of a gluten‐free diet to levels similar to control subjects (8.9 ± 1.5% vs. 8.8 ± 1.5%, P‐value for analysis of variance = 0.9). In regression analysis, the diagnosis of coeliac disease and start of a gluten‐free diet was associated with a rise in HbA1c in the first year of treatment [odds ratio 1.56 (95% confidence intervals 1.16–2.10), P = 0.003] after adjusting for insulin dose and regimen and other variables. Conclusions  In children with Type 1 diabetes, lower HbA1c prior to diagnosis of silent coeliac disease rises following treatment with a gluten‐free diet to levels similar to those without coeliac disease. Although unproven, these observations may relate to abnormalities at the small bowel mucosa before the appearance of circulating coeliac antibodies.