[Celiac disease today: review of the growing knowledge].

Coeliac disease is the most common disorder with malabsorption of the small intestine, caused by the gluten fraction of cereals in genetically predisposed individuals. T-cell mediated autoimmune processes are initiated by gluten exposure, leading to both intestinal and extraintestinal manifestations, therefore coeliac disease is nowadays considered to be a systemic disorder. More and more diseases are proved to be associated with coeliac disease, in these conditions screening is strongly recommended. The studying of the recently explored autoantibodies against tissue transglutaminase brought us further in the understanding of the pathophysiology of coeliac disease. The spreading of reliable serologic methods modified our knowledge on the clinical picture and prevalence of the disease. In case of long-term dietary abuse the most common complications are decreased bone mineral density and development of lymphomas. Sustained glutenfree diet results in clinical and histological restitution, affects the course of associating diseases beneficially and decreases the risk for malignancies.