Rationale and design of the NATURCEL registry: Study of the NATURal history and the epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of CoELiac disease and noncoeliac enteropathies.

Abstract

Coeliac disease is a chronic immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by gluten intake, which affects the small intestine in genetically susceptible individuals (HLA-DQ2 and/or HLA-DQ8). This disease, which occurs in both children and adults, is among the most common genetically determined disorders in Western countries. It is characterized by the presence of very varied and often nonspecific clinical manifestations (primarily digestive symptoms and signs of intestinal malabsorption), as well as the presence of specific antibodies (tissue transglutaminase and endomysium) and enteropathy. Currently, the only treatment for coeliac disease is a strict gluten-free diet for life. The main objective of the NATURCEL (NATURal history, epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of CoELiac disease and noncoeliac enteropathies) registry is to collect selected variables on different aspects of the disease (epidemiological, clinical, genetic, immunological, etc.) for a subsequent shared analysis for scientific and translational purposes.