Assessing the Utility of FABP-I in Serum and Biopsy Samples for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Celiac Disease

Abstract Background: Celiac disease is immune-mediated disease characterized by small intestine inflammation as a consequence of gluten ingestion in susceptible patients (HLA-DQ2/DQ8). FABP-I small protein comprised of 1%–2% of total cytosolic protein inside enterocytes that play an important role in enterocytes damage and serve as biomarker. Objectives: Evidence supports the point regarding celiac disease diagnosis by serological tests. This study aimed to reveal whether the presence of FABP-I in serum or biopsy suggests a new criterion for disease diagnosis and treatment. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 patients of different genders and ages were positively diagnosed with CeD by serological tests, (100) healthy individuals were enrolled. For the same patients, 45 biopsies were taken by specialists from suspected individuals, all oriented well, of proper size and good quality for analysis, processed by histopathologist for further use. Results: This study included a total of 200 individuals in which 100 clinical samples positively diagnosed including (40) males and (60) females, age range (3–45 years), 100 sample serves as control group from the beginning of February to August 2024 at Imam Al-Hussain Teaching Hospital in Karbala Governorate, indicating a significant difference between patients and controls. Serum FABP-I levels significantly higher in patients rather than in controls, while in biopsy the protein was not detected in either group. Conclusion: Study indicated that FABP-I shows a higher concentration in the serum of CeD patients in comparison to the control group. While, it is absent in biopsy samples of both patients and controls.