Clinical features and adherence to a gluten-free diet in patients with celiac sprue in the north-west of Algeria

This study aims to identify the predominant form of celiac sprue and the adherence to a gluten-free diet in northwest Algeria. A retrospective analysis was performed on 128 celiac patients at the Department of Gastroenterology and the association of celiac patients. The results show a female predominance with a sex ratio of 0.4. The most affected age group is the young adults (15-29 years). Lean patients represent 42.2%, normal-weight patients represent 51.6% of the study sample, and 6.3% are overweight. 47.7% of cases have a familial form of the disease. 93% underwent a biopsy for diagnosis. 60.9% of patients were not diagnosed in childhood. The main classic gastrointestinal symptoms such as Diarrhea (89.1%) and bloating (56.3%) were detected. Extraintestinal symptoms included weight loss (64.1%), weakness and fatigue (58.6%). Other biological disorders like anemia (71.1%), thyroiditis (15.6%), and type 1 diabetes (14.8%) were observed. Most celiac patients (84.4%) follow the gluten-free diet but find its application difficult. The adherence of GFD does not depend on any parameter of the study (p>0.05). The classic form predominates through a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms and extra-digestive disorders. The unavailability and high cost of imported gluten-free products are the major barriers to gluten-free diet adherence.