Case ReportAutoimmune cholangitis in a patient with celiac disease: a case report and review of the literature
Section snippets
Case Report
A 65-year-old housewife was admitted to our hospital in June 1995 with diarrhea, anemia and weight loss of 10 kg during the last 6 months. Our patient had had a history of autoimmune thyroiditis since 1993. Jejunal biopsy showed villous atrophy, blunting and flattening of the mucosal surface and infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lamina propria (Fig. 1), while serum antigliadin IgA and IgG antibodies (AGA) were positive. Serum calcium, albumin and iron levels were decreased and a
Discussion
Celiac sprue is a disease characterized by malabsorption, abnormal small bowel structure and function and intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat and its products. The intestinal lesion may be the result of a toxic effect of gluten or its products on the intestinal epithelium. It has also been proposed that gluten or its metabolites may initiate an immunological reaction in the intestinal mucosa. The interaction of T-cells with crypt epithelium may be a primary event in the pathogenesis
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