Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: In the patients with chronic liver disease chronic increase in serum transaminases may remain of undetermined cause despite thorough investigations. Celiac disease (non tropical sprue) has been reported as one of the causes of elevated levels of serum transaminases. The aim of this cross sectional study was to evaluate the frequency of celiac disease among patients with liver disease with chronic unexplained hypertransaminasemia.

Methods: One hundred patients with unexplained elevated liver enzymes who referred to gastroenterology and hepatology clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran from March 2009 to March 2010, and no cause were found for this elevation after initial clinical and paraclinical assessments and tests were enrolled in a cross sectional study. After measurement of Anti tTG IgA antibody in the serum of the patients, the biopsy of second part of duodenum were performed in cases with positive results and were assessed regarding evidences of celiac and finally the diagnosis of celiac diseas was confirmed.

Results: The mean age of patients was 39.79±16.77 and 55% of patients were male. The celiac disease was confirmed in 6% of patients (CI: 95%: 2.78- 12.48%). There were no significant differences between frequency of both sexes and means of age, ALT, and AST in the study patients.

Conclusion: In our study, the frequency of celiac disease among patients with chronic liver disease with unknown elevated liver enzymes was 6% which is near the frequency derived from other studies that has been reported.