The Prevalence of the Celiac Disease in Patients with Dyspepsia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Patients with celiac disease (CeD) can commonly present with symptoms of dyspepsia. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the present literature to assess the prevalence of CeD in patients diagnosed with dyspepsia.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for the keywords: celiac disease, coeliac disease, anti-gliadin, tissue transglutaminase antibody, anti-endomysial antibody, dyspepsia and functional gastrointestinal disorder. All the studies published from January 1991 till May 2021 were included. Diagnosis of CeD was based on the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition guidelines. A random-effects model was used to pool the data.

Results: Twenty-one studies screening 10,275 patients with dyspepsia were included. The pooled seroprevalence of CeD based on a positive anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody and/or anti-endomysial antibody was 4.8% (95% CI [2.8, 6.7%], I = 87.7%). The pooled biopsy-confirmed CeD prevalence was 1.5% (95% CI [1.0, 1.9%]; I = 59.8%) in these patients. Both seroprevalence (Odds ratio: 1.8; 95% CI [0.8, 4.0%]; I = 0%) and prevalence of biopsy-confirmed CeD (Odds ratio: 1.4; 95% CI [0.8, 2.4]; I = 0%) were not higher in patients with dyspepsia compared to controls. There was a moderate risk of selection bias and significant heterogeneity in the pooled results.

Conclusions: The pooled prevalence of CeD in patients with dyspepsia was 1.5% and it was not significantly higher than the general population. These results do not support screening of patients with dyspepsia for CeD.