Screening for coeliac disease in women with a history of recurrent miscarriage or infertility

Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1999 Feb;106(2):171-3. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1999.tb08218.x.

Abstract

Because subclinical coeliac disease may decrease fertility or complicate pregnancy, we screened women with recurrent miscarriage of unknown aetiology (n = 63), unexplained infertility (n = 47) and infertility with a known cause (n = 82), for anti-endomysium antibodies in serum to find undiagnosed coeliac disease. One woman (1-6%) with recurrent miscarriage, another woman (2.1%) with unexplained infertility and one woman (2.0%) in the control group (n = 51), were considered to have coeliac disease. We could not demonstrate a higher frequency of coeliac disease in women with infertility or recurrent miscarriage, but suggest that undiagnosed coeliac disease is common in women.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Habitual / etiology*
  • Adult
  • Autoantibodies / blood
  • Celiac Disease / complications*
  • Celiac Disease / diagnosis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin A / blood
  • Infertility, Female / etiology*
  • Mass Screening / methods
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / immunology
  • Pregnancy

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Immunoglobulin A