Evaluation of patients with idiopathic portal hypertension: Could tissue transglutaminase antibodies predict the celiac disease?

Idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) traditionally has been described as a diagnosis of exclusion in patients who have presinusoidal portal hypertension. Gut- derived serologic markers in IPH are an increasing focus of attention, but there are only a few published studies on serological markers of celiac disease in patients with IPH and the results are contradictory. Furthermore, the role of tissue transglutaminase (TTG) antibodies have not been identified yet. This study determined what proportion of IPH patients had a seropositivity of TTG antibodies and evaluated the role of TTG antibodies in IPH. Demographics and clinical data, TTG antibodies, hematologic and biochemical parameters and radiologic studies were retrospectively reviewed in all IPH patients attending our hospital. 10 clinically and biopsy-proven IPH patients (8 women and 2 men) were identified, all of them were diagnosed between 2009 and 2011. IgA and G antibodies to tissue transglutaminase were evaluated in all patients. 5 patients had a positive TTG IgA, 3 patients had a positive TTG IgG and 2 of them had negative autoantibodies. No patient was IgA deficient. 6 patients were eligible for duoenal biopsy and none of them had biopsy-proven celiac disease (CD). Conclusions: Although the data are limited, this study suggests that seropositivity for TTG antibodies could be positive in IPH. But there was no relation between positive serologic results and CD.

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