Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Sep 10;2025(3):80.
doi: 10.5339/qmj.2025.80. eCollection 2025.

Seroprevalence of celiac disease antibodies in blood donors

Muhammad Umar Saddique  1 , Abdelatif Al Ahmed Abdelmola  1 , Saloua Mohammed M Hmissi  2 , Alshimaa Alaboudy  3 , Prem Chandra  4 , Moutaz Farouk Mahmoud Derbala  1
Affiliations

Seroprevalence of celiac disease antibodies in blood donors

Muhammad Umar Saddique et al. Qatar Med J. .

Abstract

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic immune-mediated disorder of the digestive system triggered by gluten ingestion among genetically predisposed individuals. It is a chronic disease that causes malnutrition, but it is a non-fatal condition. A significant proportion of cases remain undiagnosed due to asymptomatic or nonspecific presentations, contributing to delayed diagnosis and long-term complications. CD is not a contraindication for blood donation. This study aims to determine the seroprevalence of CD antibodies and the prevalence of biopsy-proven CD among blood donors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,497 blood donors (≥18 years) at Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar, between 2018 and 2022. Serum anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA (anti-tTG IgA) and anti-endomysial IgA (anti-EM IgA) antibodies were measured in enrolled blood donors. Individuals with positive results for either antibody underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with duodenal biopsies to confirm the diagnosis.

Results: Serological testing revealed a seroprevalence of 0.8% (95% CI, 0.4%-1.4%) for anti-tTG IgA, with 83.3% of these individuals also being positive for anti-EM IgA. All seropositive individuals were male. Of 12 seropositive individuals, 4 (33%) consented to EGD and duodenal biopsy. Histological findings confirmed CD in two cases (50% of seropositive individuals who consented to biopsy). Both confirmed cases exhibited Marsh grade 2 changes.

Conclusion: The seroprevalence of CD antibodies among healthy blood donors was 0.8%, and biopsy-proven CD was 50% among seropositive individuals who consented to EGD. These findings highlight the presence of undiagnosed CD in this population, predominantly in males, and underscore the need for further community-based studies to assess the true prevalence and clinical implications of CD.

Keywords: Celiac disease; anti-endomysial antibody; anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody; blood donors.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Catassi C, Verdu EF, Bai JC, Lionetti E. Coeliac disease. Lancet. 2022 Jun 25;;399((10344):):2413–26. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00794-2. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Makharia GK, Singh P, Catassi C, Sanders DS, Leffler D, Ali RAR, et al. The global burden of coeliac disease: opportunities and challenges. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 May;19((5):):313–27. doi: 10.1038/s41575-021-00552-z. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Barada K, Bitar A, Mokadem MAR, Hashash JG, Green P. Celiac disease in Middle Eastern and North African countries: a new burden? World J Gastroenterol. 2010 Mar; 28;16((12):):1449–57. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i12.1449. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Al-Toma A, Volta U, Auricchio R, Castillejo G, Sanders DS, Cellier C, et al. European Society for the Study of Coeliac Disease (ESsCD) guideline for coeliac disease and other gluten-related disorders. United European Gastroenterol J. 2019 Jun;7((5):):583–613. http://doi.org/10.1177/205 0640619844125. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Singh P, Arora A, Strand TA, Leffler DA, Catassi C, Green PH, et al. Global Prevalence of Celiac Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2018 Jun; 1;16((6):):823–36.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2017.06.037. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources