Growth and glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes and asymptomatic celiac disease treated with a gluten -free diet for 1 year

To compare growth and glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes and silent celiac disease treated with a gluten-free diet for 1 year with those of similar age and gender with type 1 diabetes but without celiac disease, 16 type 1 diabetes patients with silent celiac disease were enrolled and each celiac disease-positive case was matched for age, sex, and duration of diabetes with two type 1 diabetes controls with negative serologic markers of celiac disease. All 16 children with positive celiac disease serology had histologic features consistent with celiac disease despite the absence of symptoms. The mean growth and metabolic control values were similar between children with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease and those with type 1 diabetes but without celiac disease. This study seems to suggest that the early diagnosis of celiac disease and initiation of a gluten-free diet may prevent further deterioration in the nutritional status of children with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease and may reduce the prospect of celiac disease complications without any impact on type 1 diabetes control.