Enterovirus linked to coeliac disease
Uncovering the trigger factors for those prone to the disease could inform future preventative strategies, say experts
Early gut infection with enterovirus may be a trigger for coeliac disease in susceptible children, research suggests.
In an observational study, Norwegian researchers followed 220 children with the HLA-DQ2/DQ8 genotype and regularly collected their stool samples from the age of three months up to three years.
Over the following 10 years, they tested their blood for coeliac disease antibodies and found 25 of the children were diagnosed with the disease.
The chance of developing coeliac disease was almost 50% higher in children with prior enterovirus than in those without, they found.
