High prevalence of celiac sprue-like HLA-DQ genes and enteropathy in patients with the microscopic colitis syndrome

Abstract

A shared set of predisposing HLA-DQ genes account for the epidemiological overlap of celiac sprue and microscopic colitis. Mild to moderate mononuclear cell inflammation of the small intestine, often accompanied by partial or subtotal villous atrophy, is frequent in patients with the microscopic colitis syndrome. Although further studies will be necessary to determine if this enteropathy is induced by dietary gluten, we speculate that the small intestinal but not colonic histopathology in patients with microscopic colitis is caused by immunological gluten sensitivity.