CELIAC DISEASE AMONG GASTROINTESTINAL PATIENTS IN YEMEN: ITS PREVALENCE, SYMPTOMS AND ACCOMPANYING SIGNS, AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH AGE AND GENDER

Omar Ahmed Ismael Al-dossary; Redhwan A. Ahmed; Khaled Abdulkareem A Al-Moyed; Azhar Azher Mohammed Al-Ankoshy; Mohammed Mohammed Ali Al-Najhi; Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v6i5.665

Omar Ahmed Ismael Al-dossary Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Redhwan A. Ahmed Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen. Laboratory Department, University of Science and Technology Hospital, Sana'a, Yemen.
Khaled Abdulkareem A Al-Moyed Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Azhar Azher Mohammed Al-Ankoshy Laboratory Department, University of Science and Technology Hospital, Sana'a, Yemen. 3Jabir ibnHayyan Medical University, Faculty of Medicine, Iraq
Mohammed Mohammed Ali Al-Najhi Orthodontics, Pedodontics and Prevention Department Faculty of Dentistry, Genius University for Sciences & Technology, Dhamar city, Republic of Yemen.
Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.Medical Microbiology department, Faculty of Medicine, Genius University for Sciences & Technology, Dhamar city, Republic of Yemen.

10.22270/ujpr.v6i5.665

Keywords:

Celiac disease (CD), prevalence, signs, symptoms, Yemen

Abstract

Background and objectives: Celiac disease is a long-standing autoimmune illness that principally affects the small intestine. Typical symptoms comprise digestive problems such as chronic diarrhea, flatulence, malabsorption, loss of appetite, and failure of children to grow normally. The prevalence of celiac disease has not been established in Yemen, either in the general population or in symptomatic patients. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the prevalence of disease in symptomatic patients and to investigate associated symptoms and signs; and whether prevalence of CD varies greatly between different ages and genders in a hospital in Sana'a.

Methods: A cross sectional study based on the results of serological markers; IgA anti-tissue glutaminase and small bowel biopsies of 600 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms who were all patients who attended in the research period. Data were collected from hospital records during the period from March 2014 to December 2018. 600 suspected patients (245 males and 355 females) were subjects and the mean age of ±SD patients was 30.6±14.5 years (range 2-92 years).

Results: The prevalence of CD among patients with gastrointestinal symptoms was 9.2%. There was a significant association between CD with females (rate being 11.3% , OR=1.9, p=0.03), and 2-19 years age group (21.4% , OR=4.3, p<0.001), Considering the clinical signs and symptoms there was a significant association between celiac disease and chronic diarrhea (OR=18.4), steatorrhea ( OR=9.6), foul odor (OR=8.3), weight loss (OR=5.7), anemia (OR=10.2), abdominal distension (OR=3.1), mouth ulcers (OR=7.2), abdominal bleeding (OR=13.5), diabetes mellitus I (OR=18), and hypothyroidism (OR=79.3).

Conclusion: A high rate of CD was identified among gastrointestinal symptoms patients arriving at the general hospital in Sana’a, Yemen, and this demonstrates the importance of general practitioners in identifying patients with CD, especially in the absence of a medical facility for CD, and this was facilitated through the serological markers test.