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Background Recently published paediatric guidelines for diagnosing coeliac disease do not include recommendations on the follow-up of coeliac disease patients. Goal The aim of this study was to assess the management practices and experience of coeliac disease patients with their follow-up appointments in Central Europe. Study Gastroenterologists and coeliac disease patients in five Central European countries were asked to complete the web-based questionnaire focusing on coeliac disease management practices. Results Answers from 147 gastroenterologists and 2041 coeliac disease patients were available for the analysis. More than half of the gastroenterologists (58.5%) schedule the first follow-up visit within 3 months after the diagnosis. At follow-up, tissue transglutaminase antibodies are checked in almost all patients (95.9%). Approximately two-thirds (60.7%) of gastroenterologists refer all of their patients to the dietitian at diagnosis. Similarly, 42.8% of coeliac disease patients reported that they had not been appointed to a dietitian. Almost one-third of coeliac disease patients (30.8%) reported that they had no follow-up appointments with gastroenterologist at all. Conclusions Follow-up of coeliac disease patients is suboptimal in Central Europe. Many patients are not followed regularly. A lot of patients are not referred to a dietitian. The recommendations on the optimal follow-up of coeliac disease patients are needed in order to improve patient care.

Adequate follow-up in celiac disease is important to improve dietary compliance and treat disease-related symptoms and possible complications. However, data on the follow-up of celiac children is scarce. We aimed to assess current pediatric celiac follow-up practices across Europe. Pediatricians and pediatric gastroenterologists from 35 countries in Europe, Israel, Turkey, and Russia completed an anonymous survey which comprised a 52-item questionnaire developed by the ESPGHAN Special Interest Group on Celiac Disease. A total of 911 physicians, the majority of whom exclusively worked in pediatric care (83%) and academic institutions (60%), completed the questionnaire. Mean age and mean experience with celiac care were 48.7 years (± 10.6) and 15.7 years (± 9.9), respectively. The vast majority (= 92%) always assessed anthropometry, dietary adherence, and tissue-transglutaminase IgA-antibodies at every visit, with the first visit being between 3 and 6 months after diagnosis. Other parameters (% always tested) were as follows: complete blood count (60%), iron status (48%), liver enzymes (42%), thyroid function (38%), and vitamin D (26%). Quality of life was never assessed by 35% of the responding physicians. Transition to adult care was mostly completed via a written transition report (37%) or no formal transition at all (27%).Conclusions: Follow-up of celiac children and adolescents in Europe may be improved, especially regarding a more rational use of (laboratory) tests, dietary and QoL assessment, and transition to adult care. Evidence-based advice from international scientific societies is needed. What is Known: • Follow-up in celiac disease is important to treat disease-related symptoms, improve dietary compliance, and prevent possible complications. • There is a lack of consensus about the appropriate follow-up. What is New: • Almost all European physicians assess anthropometry, tissue-transglutaminase IgA-antibodies, and dietary adherence at every visit, but there are large variations in other follow-up aspects. • Follow-up could be improved by a more rational use of (laboratory) tests, increased intention to dietary compliance, and quality of life together with transition programs to adult care.

OBJECTIVES: During the past decades, there has been a shift in the clinical presentation of coeliac disease (CD) to nonclassical, oligosymptomatic, and asymptomatic forms. We assessed clinical presentation of CD in children and adolescents in Central Europe. METHODS: Paediatric gastroenterologists in 5 countries retrospectively reported data of their patients diagnosed with CD. Clinical presentation was analyzed and the differences among very young (

Background: Intestinal coeliac auto-antibodies are the marker of coeliac disease (CD). Since the determination of these antibodies is still not widely available, we used immunoassays to identify the most suitable technology for revealing intestinal auto-antibodies in the wide clinical spectrum of CD. Methods: Intestinal auto-antibodies have been prospectively investigated in CD suspected children using two immunoassays: intestinal-deposits of IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (anti-tTG) and biopsy-culture IgA anti-endomysium (AEA). Intestinal IgM antibodies have been determined in IgA-deficient subjects. Findings: Two-hundred and twenty-one suspected CD patients were enrolled. Intestinal antibodies were tested positive for both assays in classical CD patients (n = 178) with villous atrophy and positive serum-CD antibodies, potential CD patients (n = 16) with normal intestinal mucosa and positive serum-CD antibodies, and pre-potential CD patients (n = 14) with normal intestinal mucosa and negative serum-CD antibodies. In 13/221 with normal intestinal mucosa, negative CD-serum antibodies and negative intestinal antibodies CD has been excluded. All classical, 14/16 potential and 11/14 pre-potential CD patients on gluten-free diet (GFD) improved their symptoms. In 9/11 pre-potential patients intestinal antibodies disappeared on GFD. Both assays were negative in 69/71 control subjects. The two assays showed high diagnostic sensitivity (100%) and specificity (99%). Interpretation: Intestinal CD-antibodies make prompt diagnosis in the wide clinical spectrum of CD reducing the delay in diagnosis and treatment, especially in pre-potential CD patients. The easy handling biopsy culture assay is an effective diagnostic tool which should be carried out by any gastroenterology unit to recognize all CD clinical manifestations. Funding: Interreg Central-Europe, IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”. Keywords: Biopsy culture, Coeliac disease, Diagnosis, Gluten-free diet, Intestinal deposits

Objectives. The current European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) guidelines introduced the option to diagnose coeliac disease (CD) in children and adolescents without upper endoscopy if the defined criteria are met. The aim of our study was to evaluate how frequently paediatric gastroenterologists in Central Europe used the “no-biopsy” approach and how often the duodenal biopsy could have been omitted. Methods. Medical records of patients aged<19 years diagnosed with CD in 2016 from five European countries were analysed, focusing on levels of transglutaminase antibodies (TGA) at the time of diagnosis and on whether the diagnosis was confirmed using duodenal biopsy or “no-biopsy” approach. Clinical presentation and delays until final diagnosis were analysed according to diagnostic approach. Results. Data from 653 children (63.9% female, median age: 7 years, range: 7 months-18.5 years) from Croatia, Hungary, Germany, Italy, and Slovenia were analysed. One fifth (n=134) of included children were asymptomatic at diagnosis. Of 519 symptomatic children, 107 (20.6%) were diagnosed by the “no-biopsy” approach. Out of the remaining 412 children who underwent duodenal biopsies, 214 (51.9%) had TGA≥10 times upper level of normal (ULN) and would have been eligible for the “no-biopsy” approach. Signs and symptoms of malabsorption were more frequent in children diagnosed without duodenal biopsies. There were no differences in diagnostic delays with respect to the diagnostic approach. Conclusion. In this cohort, about 60% of symptomatic CD patients could have been diagnosed without duodenal biopsies. The aim of the “no-biopsy” approach was to make the diagnostic procedure less challenging without compromising its reliability. However, this option was applied only in 20%, in spite of fewer burdens to the family and reduced costs. The reasons for this discrepancy are unknown. Physicians should be made more aware about the reliability of CD diagnosis without biopsies when the ESPGHAN guidelines for CD diagnosis are followed.

Objectives: Coeliac disease (CD) is a systemic autoimmune disorder affecting about 1% of the population. Many patients remain undiagnosed or are diagnosed with substantial delay. We assessed diagnostic delays in symptomatic CD children in Central Europe (CE). Methods: Paediatric gastroenterologists in 5 CE countries retrospectively reported data of their patients diagnosed in 2016. Age at first CD-related symptom(s), first visit to paediatric gastroenterologist and confirmed diagnosis were used to determine diagnostic delays. Results: Data from 393 children (65% girls, median age 7 years, range 7 months to 18.5 years) from Croatia, Hungary, Germany, Italy, and Slovenia were analysed. Median duration from first symptom(s) to visit to paediatric gastroenterologist was 5 months (range 0–10 years ; preschool 4 months, school-aged 5 months), and further duration until final diagnosis was 1 month (range 0–5 years) with significant regional differences (P < 0.001). Median diagnostic delay was 6 months (range 0–10 years ; preschool 5 months, school-aged 7 months). Type of clinical presentation had little, however, significant effect on delays. Reduced body mass in delays longer than 3 years compared with delays shorter than 1 year was found (z score −0.93 vs −0.39, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Time from first symptoms to CD diagnosis in children in 5 CE countries is slightly shorter compared with few other small paediatric studies, and significantly shorter than reported for adults. Nevertheless, delays of more than 3 years in 6.6% of children are worrisome. Raising awareness about the variable symptoms and implementation of reliable diagnostic tools will further reduce diagnostic delays