Evaluation of the Epidemiological, Clinical, and Laboratory Characteristics of Patients with Celiac Disease in South Khorasan (Iran)

Background: Since the early diagnosis of celiac disease (CD) is crucial, understanding its epidemiological characteristics can facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment. This study investigated CD's epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics in South Khorasan Province, Iran. Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory findings of patients with CD in South Khorasan Province. Methods: This descriptive epidemiological research was conducted on 110 individuals with CD referred to the Gastroenterology Clinic from March to August 2019. The data were acquired via a comprehensive questionnaire, encompassing the participants' demographic specifications, medical records, the symptoms of the disease, laboratory diagnostic evaluations, and biopsy results. The data were employed for epidemiological inquiry, and the corresponding analyses were performed in SPSS v. 22. Results: The participants' mean age was 28.38 ± 15.25 years,78 (70.9%) were men, and 32 (29.1%) were women. The most common clinical gastrointestinal symptoms included abdominal pain in 70 (63.6%), diarrhea in 44 (40%), constipation in 43 (39.1%), and nausea in 35 (31.8%). Of the 83 biopsy cases, 3 (3.6%), 4 (4.8%), 9 (10.8%), 21 (25.3%), and 43 (55.4%) belonged to Marsh-I, Marsh-II, Marsh-IIIa, Marsh-IIIb, Marsh-IIIc categories, respectively. Conclusions: Most participants were male and aged 10 to 20 years. Abdominal pain was the most common clinical symptom. All the pathologically examined patients showed evidence of CD, while approximately two-thirds were serologically positive.