MCQ Pathology Answer 40

The correct answer is A

The prevalence of Celiac disease (otherwise known as "Celiac sprue", "non-tropical sprue" or "gluten-sensitive enteropathy") is in the order of 1 in 1000 although this is probably an underestimate since a number of affected individuals are asymptomatic.

Small intestinal mucosal damage is caused by the fraction of wheat gluten containing gliadin polypeptides. The mechanism by which this toxic reaction occurs in susceptible individuals is not known, but there is strong evidence for an immune component. Thus the sera of affected individuals can contain antibodies against gliadin and mucosal components which are usually not found in significant titers in normal individuals, and these antibodies have proven to be useful for both the diagnosis and monitoring of celiac disease. They are antigliadin (AGA) IgA and IgG, antireticulin (ARA) IgA and antiendomysial (EMA) IgA.

Category: Pathology MCQs