Celiac disease and selective immunoglobulin A deficiency

Selective IgA deficiency was observed in 12 of 688 (1.7%) patients with celiac disease who were clinically undistinguishable from patients with celiac disease with normal IgA levels. This high prevalence of IgA deficiency in patients with celiac disease makes serum IgA assay advisable when screening for celiac disease is performed by measurement of antigliadin antibodies or anti-IgA endomysium antibodies. Similarly, subjects with IgA deficiency should be considered at risk of celiac disease.