[Relapsing acute pancreatitis associated with gluten enteropathy. Clinical, laboratory, and evolutive characteristics in thirty-four patients]

Pancreatic involvement in celiac disease

Celiac disease (CD) is well recognized as a systemic, chronic autoimmune disease mainly characterized by gluten-sensitive enteropathy in genetically predisposed individuals but with various extraintestinal features. One of the affected organs in CD is the pancreas, consisting of both endocrine and exocrine alterations. Over the last decades there has been increasing interest in the pancreatic changes in CD, and this has been reflected by a great number of publications looking at this extraintestinal involvement during the course of CD. While pancreatic endocrine changes in CD, focusing on type 1 diabetes mellitus, are well documented in the literature, the relationship with the exocrine pancreas has been less studied. This review summarizes currently available evidence with regard to pancreatic exocrine alterations in CD, focusing on risk of pancreatitis in CD patients, association with autoimmune pancreatitis, prevalence and outcomes of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in newly diagnosed and gluten-free diet treated CD patients, and the link with cystic fibrosis. In addition, we discuss mechanisms behind the associated pancreatic exocrine impairment in CD and highlight the recommendations for clinical practice.

Extraintestinal manifestations of coeliac disease

Coeliac disease is a common disorder that can arise at any age and typically presents with a broad spectrum of symptoms. The disease is thought to be underdiagnosed, in part owing to the fact that coeliac disease is often characterized by associated conditions and extraintestinal manifestations that can misdirect and impede diagnosis. Some of these manifestations are direct consequences of autoimmunity, such as dermatitis herpetiformis or gluten ataxia, whereas others are indirectly related to inflammation and/or malabsorption including anaemia, osteoporosis, short stature and delayed puberty. Any organ from the central nervous system to joints, liver or teeth can be affected. In some cases, extraintestinal symptoms are the only clinical manifestations of coeliac disease or occur in conjunction with diarrhoea and malabsorptive symptoms. An increased awareness among medical practitioners of the variety of extraintestinal manifestations of coeliac disease is essential to improve diagnosis and treatment.

Celiac disease and autoimmune-associated conditions

Celiac disease (CD) is frequently accompanied by a variety of extradigestive manifestations, thus making it a systemic disease rather than a disease limited to the gastrointestinal tract. This is primarily explained by the fact that CD belongs to the group of autoimmune diseases. The only one with a known etiology is related to a permanent intolerance to gluten. Remarkable breakthroughs have been achieved in the last decades, due to a greater interest in the diagnosis of atypical and asymptomatic patients, which are more frequent in adults. The known presence of several associated diseases provides guidance in the search of oligosymptomatic cases as well as studies performed in relatives of patients with CD. The causes for the onset and manifestation of associated diseases are diverse; some share a similar genetic base, like type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D); others share pathogenic mechanisms, and yet, others are of unknown nature. General practitioners and other specialists must remember that CD may debut with extraintestinal manifestations, and associated illnesses may appear both at the time of diagnosis and throughout the evolution of the disease. The implementation of a gluten-free diet (GFD) improves the overall clinical course and influences the evolution of the associated diseases. In some cases, such as iron deficiency anemia, the GFD contributes to its disappearance. In other disorders, like T1D, this allows a better control of the disease. In several other complications and/or associated diseases, an adequate adherence to a GFD may slow down their evolution, especially if implemented during an early stage.