Prevalence and diagnostic significance of gliadin antibodies in children with Down syndrome

Malabsorption appears common in patients with Down syndrome. We determined gliadin antibodies (IgG and IgA) in 78 children (aged 1–19 years) with Down syndrome and found increased IgG levels in 23, increased IgA levels in 2 and both increased IgG and IgA levels in 6 patients. Two patients with increased IgG and IgA had coeliac disease, two others had no mucosal abnormalities. There is an increased frequency of gliadin antibodies in patients with Down syndrome. In addition, an increased incidence of coeliac disease in this population cannot be excluded.