Rotavirus and coeliac autoimmunity among adults with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms

OBJECTIVE: To determine celiac disease (CD) serology and rotavirus (RV) by polymerase reaction (PCR) in adults with non-specific gastrointestinal complaints.

METHODS: The study comprised 5176 randomly selected individuals living in Tehran, Iran between September 2006 and September 2007. Six hundred and seventy individuals with GI symptoms were identified with a questionnaire and invited for a further study including stool sampling and blood tests. Stool samples were examined for detection of RV by amplification of specific gene (VP6) and by light microscopy and formalin-ether concentration methods for parasite detection. The subjects also tested for CD including anti-transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies and total immunoglobulin A (IgA). The study was carried out in the Research Center of Gastroentrology and Liver Disease, Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran.

RESULTS: The VP6 gene was detected in 150 (22.3%) individuals. Anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG-IgA) was positive in 22 individuals (95% CI 2.3-5.1) and IgG-tTG antibody in 3 individuals who were IgA deficient. Amplification of VP6 gene was positive in 8/25 (32%) with positive CD serology and in 142/645 (22%) with negative CD serology. This difference was not statistically significant (p=0.2).

CONCLUSION: This study shows that RV infection is common among Iranian patients with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms. However, in contrast to studies in children, this study shows that the prevalence of active RV infection was not statistically significantly different between individuals who were tTG antibody positive and those who were tTG antibody negative.