Aims: To explore if anti-gliadin antibody (AGA) positivity is associated with overall mortality or morbidity and especially with the development of coeliac disease during long-term gluten exposure.
Methods: The study population comprised 130 persistently AGA-positive but transglutaminase-2 (anti- TG2) -negative and 52 persistently AGA- and anti-TG2 -negative subjects aged 64-88 years. HLA-typing for DQ2 and DQ8 (coeliac-type HLA) was performed on the AGA-positives. The medical records of the study population were reviewed to compare mortality and morbidity during a long-term follow-up of 12-13 years since the initial antibody analysis.
Results: Mortality or cumulative prevalence of gastroenterological, autoimmune, psychiatric, cardiovascular or any malignant diseases did not differ statistically between the AGA-positives and the AGA-negatives. Neurological diseases were more common in the AGA-negative group (p=0.017), but there was no statistical difference between the prevalence of any particular neurological diseases. Coeliac-type HLA in AGA-positive subjects did not influence mortality or morbidity. However, during the last six to seven years the incidence of immunological diseases was more common in the AGA-positive subjects without coeliac-type HLA than in those with coeliac-type HLA, or in the AGA-negative group (p=0.020). None of the persistently AGA-positive subjects developed clinically diagnosed coeliac disease.
Conclusions: Gliadin antibody positivity without coeliac disease does not predict mortality or morbidity in the ageing population continuing to consume gluten for over ten years.