Are Hepatitis B Virus and Celiac Disease Linked?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: It has been hypothesized that nonintestinal inflammatory diseases such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) may trigger immunologic gluten intolerance in susceptible people. This hypothesis suggests a possible epidemiological link between these two diseases, although this assumption is still a matter of debate. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study to assess the prevalence of celiac disease in HBV carrier patients who had been infected in childhood. RESULTS: None of the HBV carrier patients had immunoglobulin A antiendomysium and immunoglobulin A anti-tissue transglutaminase, but 6 patients and 1 recovered subject had immunoglobulin A antigliadin and/or immunoglobulin G antigliadin. Moreover, no patient treated with interferon therapy showed any serological marker of celiac disease. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the small sample size, we cannot claim that there is no association between celiac disease (CD) and HBV, although in our study we did not find any CD patients. A sample size that is more representative of the prevalence of CD in Italy would better support the establishment of any possible connection between CD and HBV.