Serological prevalence of celiac disease in Brazilian population of multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica and myelitis

•Etiology of central nervous system demyelinating diseases is partially understood.•A link between multiple sclerosis (MS) and celiac disease (CD) has been suggested.•Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and idiopathic myelitis (IM) have not been studied for CD.•MS, 37 NMO and 96 IM patients were submitted to serological analysis for CD.•This study did not confirm relationship between these demyelinating diseases and CD.

PurposeComorbidity of celiac disease with demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system has been reported since the 1960s. The objective of this study was to determine the serological prevalence of celiac disease in the largest series of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, or myelitis.MethodsA prevalence study was conducted with patients evaluated at Sarah Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals between March 2012 and September 2013. They were previously diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, or idiopathic myelitis. The serum levels of antibodies against tissue transglutaminase and endomysium were assessed.ResultsOf the 379 patients evaluated, 249 (65.70%) were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, 37 (9.56%) with neuromyelitis optica, and 96 (24.54%) with idiopathic myelitis. Two patients (0.53%), one with multiple sclerosis and other with myelitis, tested positive for both antibodies.ConclusionOur study do not confirm the relationship between celiac serological antibodies with multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica and inflammatory myelitis of an unknown etiology.