Screening for coeliac disease in preschool Greek children: the feasibility study of a community-based project.

AIM: Evaluation of the prevalence of coeliac disease (CD) in Greek paediatric population.
METHODS: The project consists of two parts: (i) a pilot study of preschool children aged 2-6 years to test the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of community-based screening and (ii) a CD prevalence study, by random clustered sampling and proportionate stratification of various geographical areas in Greece. Trained nonmedical staff performed a rapid immunochromatographic test to detect IgA antibodies to tTG-IgA and IgA deficiency. Toddlers with positive results were referred to a paediatric gastroenterologist for further assessment with serum anti-tTG IgA and EMA-IgA. Children with positive serum anti-tTG and anti-EMA underwent upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy and small bowel biopsy and were subsequently in gluten-free diet.
RESULTS: In this project participated 1136 toddlers, who were tested at school. The prevalence of positive rapid anti-tTG screening was 1:154, of IgA deficiency 1:120 and of biopsy-proven CD 1:154. The prevalence of CD from this pilot study served as expected prevalence value for sample size calculation for the main prevalence study.
CONCLUSION: This protocol using rapid immunochromatographic test for the detection of both IgA deficiency and CD is easy to be performed by nonmedical staff in a community setting, enabling the accurate identification of new CD cases among asymptomatic population. ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.