The seroprevalence of immunoglobulin A transglutaminase in type 1 diabetic patients of South Indian origin

CONTEXT: Celiac disease (CD) is a commonly encountered autoimmune condition in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). There is sparse data on the seroprevalence of immunoglobulin A (IgA) transglutaminase (tTG) in T1D patients of South Indian origin. AIMS: To detect the prevalence of IgA tTG in T1D patients of South Indian origin. To evaluate the relation between the presence of autoimmunity and metabolic control and complications of diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 258 T1D patients. All the patients were subjected to biochemical tests and evaluated for microvascular complications. IgA tTG was estimated by ELISA. IgA tTG levels >40 AU/ml was considered positive. RESULTS: Of the 258 participants, 12 (4.65%) were found to be positive for IgA tTG antibodies. Distribution of IgA positivity was equal in both sexes. There was a significant negative correlation of IgA tTG positivity with hemoglobin and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). CONCLUSIONS: The seropositivity of CD in South Indian patients with T1D has been observed to be 4.68%. This is much lower compared to studies from North India. This can be explained by both the genetic and dietary factors. The seropositivity correlated negatively with hemoglobin and HbA1c.