Celiac disease in adult patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Type 1 diabetes may be accompanied by other autoimmune diseases, including celiac disease (sprue, gluten disease). Celiac disease may be present in approximately 15% of adult patients with type 1 diabetes. It is usually asymptomatic, however it may lead to a number of episodes of hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis. The coexistence of celiac disease increases the risk of retinopathy, nephropathy and osteoporosis. The paper discusses current diagnostic procedures of celiac disease in the high-risk population, including type 1 diabetes patients. Particular attention was paid to the recommended serological tests, their interpretation, and genetic studies, which are extremely useful to exclude this disease.