The Role of Interleukin 2 and Interleukin 15 in Diagnosis and Prognosis of Celiac Disease in Children

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune condition that affects the small intestine, triggered by the intake of gluten and related prolamines in genetically predisposed individuals. The anti-tissue tTG-IgA transglutaminase test is a primary screening method for suspected celiac disease. Materials and Methods: Forty-five children with celiac disease were enrolled in the study, with an age range between 2–14 years, and 43 healthy subjects as the control group in the Medical City Hospital in Baghdad. The diagnosis of the disease was confirmed by Anti tissue transglutaminase (tTG) IgA and IgG antibodies, IL-2, and IL-15 using the enzyme-linked immunoassay technique (ELISA). Results: The results showed that serum levels of anti-tTG (IgA, IgG) antibodies were significantly higher in patients with celiac disease than in the control group. The serum anti-tTG IgA level was 23.06 ± 15.6 in the patient group, while the control group was 8.69 ± 0.61. Also, the serum anti-tTG IgG level was 104.10 ± 61.1 in the celiac group, and the healthy control group was 7.41 ± 0.57. In addition, IL-2 and IL-15 serum levels were increased in the celiac disease groups with highly significant differences. The IL-2 level was 26.33 ± 6.59 in the patient group, and in the healthy control groups were 6.55 ± 0.30, P value (P = 0.004). Furthermore, the serum IL15 level was 42.31 ± 7.42 in the celiac patient group and 12.70 ± 0.71 in the healthy control group, P value (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: The elevated Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and Interleukin-15 (IL-15) levels in patients with celiac disease have been suggested as biomarkers and therapeutic targets (immunotherapies) for celiac disease.