Characteristics of Siblings With Celiac Disease Diagnosed by Family Screening

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the features of asymptomatic siblings of index celiac patients who were diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) at the initial screening. Methods: We reviewed hospital records of 210 children with CD. The characteristics of sibling celiacs (n=24) were compared with index celiacs (n=186). Results: At diagnosis, sibling celiacs were older than index celiacs (mean (SD) 10.4 (2.7) vs 8.2 (4.3) years; P=0.02). There were no significant differences between sibling and index celiacs in terms of serum anti-tTG IgA titer (>= 10xULN, 83.3% vs 85%), and most of the patients had moderate/severe villous atrophy in both groups. The rates of iron deficiency anemia, folic acid deficiency, wasting and stunting were comparable between sibling and index celiac patients. Conclusions: Siblings with CD were older than index children with CD at diagnosis, and their characteristics were similar to symptomatic index children with CD, despite not having any complaints.