Gluten Sensitivity Differs from Celiac Disease in Children

Some children with diarrhea and abdominal pain respond to a gluten-free diet without meeting criteria for celiac disease.

Gluten-associated disorders include celiac disease (CD) and wheat allergy, but another type of gluten sensitivity — different from celiac disease — has been reported in adults. This case series from a pediatric gastroenterology clinic describes 15 referred children (mean age, 9.6 years; 10 boys) who had adverse reactions to wheat ingestion but did not meet criteria for CD or wheat allergy based on tests for antigliadin, anti-tissue transglutaminase, and anti-endomysial antibodies; ferritin levels; hepatic transaminases; erythrocyte sedimentation rates; HLA typing; or small intestinal biopsies. These children were considered to have gluten sensitivity (GS).

Children with GS presented with abdominal pain (80%), chronic diarrhea (73%), fatigue …

Reviewing Author

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

Gluten Sensitivity Differs from Celiac Disease in Children

Topics

Reviewing Author