THE DIABETES STUDY GROUP OF ITALIAN SOCIETY OF PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY

OBJECTIVE — To estimate the prevalence of biopsy-confirmed celiac disease in Italian chil-dren and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and to assess whether age at onset of type 1 diabetes is independently associated with diagnosis of celiac disease. RESEARCHDESIGNANDMETHODS — The study group was a clinic-based cohort of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes cared for in 25 Italian centers for childhood diabetes. Yearly screening for celiac disease was performed using IgA/IgG anti-gliadin and IgA anti-endomysium antibodies. RESULTS — Of the 4,322 children and adolescents (age 11.8 4.2 years) identified with type 1 diabetes, biopsy-confirmed celiac disease was diagnosed in 292 (prevalence 6.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.0–7.6), with a higher risk seen in girls than in boys (odds ratio [OR] 1.93, 1.51–2.47). In 89 % of these, diabetes was diagnosed before celiac disease. In logistic regression analyses, being younger at onset of diabetes, being female, and having a diagnosis of a thyroid disorder were independently associated with the risk of having diabetes and celiac disease. In comparison with subjects who were older than 9 years at onset of diabetes, subjects who were younger than 4 years at onset had an OR of 3.27 (2.20–4.85)