The Association of Gluten-Free Diet and Liver Function in Iraqi Patients with Celiac Disease.

Measurement of anti-TTG, liver manifestation, and BMI in Iraqi patients with celiac disease (CD) with and without a gluten-free diet (GFD) in order to validate their role in the exacerbation of CD symptoms. The study was carried out on CD patients with a duration of disease ranging from 1 to 10 years (n = 52, age range: 20- 55). The patients’ group was subdivided into the PI group (n = 29), which includes patients with GFD, and the PII group (n = 23), which includes patients without GFD. The studied groups were matched with 51 healthy individuals as the control group (C) (age range: 20-55). The results obtained from the present study indicate a highly significant increase (P = 0.000) in serum anti-TTG in the PI and PII groups as compared with the C group. BMI values showed a highly significant decrease (P = 0.007) in the PI and PII groups as compared with the C group. The activity of GGT, ALT, AST, and GOT/GPT ratio showed no significant difference in the P, PI, and PII groups as compared with the C group, while a highly significant increase in GGT was noticed upon the comparison of PI with PII (P = 0.004). It was concluded from the current study that high levels of TTG are associated with CD patients regardless of adherence to the GFD or not, while the high activity of GGT is associated with long-term adherence to the GFD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]