Is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in adult coeliac disease a cause of persisting symptoms?
Leeds JS; Hopper AD; Hurlstone DP; Edwards SJ; McAlindon ME; Lobo AJ; Donnelly MT; Morley S; Sanders DS Department of Gastroenterology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust, Sheffield, UK. jsleeds@hotmail.com BACKGROUND: Patients with coeliac disease may have diarrhoea despite being on a gluten-free diet. AIM: To assess whether exocrine pancreatic insufficiency causes persisting symptoms compared with controls, we determined whether pancreatic enzyme supplementation provided symptomatic benefit in coeliac patients with chronic diarrhoea. METHODS: Patients (n = 259) were subdivided into four groups: (a) new coeliac disease (n = 57), (b) coeliac disease patients on a gluten-free diet without gastrointestinal symptoms (n = 86), (c) coeliac disease patients on a gluten-free diet with chronic diarrhoea (n = 66) and (d) patients with chronic diarrhoea without coeliac disease (n = 50). Stool frequency and weight, before and after treatment with pancreatic enzyme supplementation were recorded. R
