Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder characterized by a broad spectrum of histological damage to the intestinal mucosa. Comprehension and understanding of the association between anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) antibody levels and the histological severity of celiac disease are not well established, prompting the need for meta-analysis. This study aims to offer insights into the diagnostic abilities of anti-tTG antibody levels in determining the histological severity of celiac disease by providing quantitative evidence based on a diverse range of studies. An extensive search was conducted across four electronic research databases to identify primary research articles reporting serum anti-tTG antibody levels in correlation with different Marsh grades, signifying the histological severity of celiac disease. The software tool RevMan 5.4 (the Cochrane Collaboration, London, UK) was used to compile standardized mean differences (SMD) alongside their respective confidence intervals. A total of 13 studies were included in the meta-analysis, with a patient pool of 2505 patients. Marsh grade I and II were found to have higher anti-tTG antibody levels compared to those with grade 0 (SMD 1.50; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.87; p-value <0.00001). Antibody levels were higher in Marsh grade IIIa when compared to both grade 0 (SMD 0.97; 95% CI: 0.67, 1.28; p-value <0.00001) and grade ≤2 (SMD 0.61; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.79; p-value <0.00001). Patients with Marsh IIIb also reported greater anti-tTG levels compared to grade 0 (SMD 1.48; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.96; p-value <0.00001) and grade ≤2 (SMD 0.98; 95% CI: 0.79, 1.18; p-value <0.00001). Likewise, Marsh grade ≥IIIc reported high levels of anti-tTG antibodies in comparison with grade 0 (SMD 1.06; 95% CI: 0.72, 1.39; p-value <0.00001) and grade ≤2 (SMD 1.18; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.34; p-value <0.00001). Our meta-analysis revealed a consistent, robust correlation between anti-tTG antibody levels and the histological severity of celiac disease, with a clear trend of increasing antibody levels corresponding to the severity of mucosal damage. Large-scale primary research initiatives are needed to reach definitive conclusions.
Keywords: anti-ttg antibody; celiac disease; coeliac sprue; gluten-sensitive enteropathy; histological severity; non-tropical sprue.
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