Coeliac disease is a chronic small intestinal disease that can occur after eating gluten in individuals with the certain genes. Both symptoms and treatment itself impact quality of life. Many patients are unaware of their disease and go undetected. This research showed that coeliac disease is more frequently diagnosed, however at the current pace it is not enough to detect all undetected patients. Routine small intestinal biopsy during upper endoscopy does not add a significant change in the pace of detecting patients that otherwise would have gone undetected. Persisting symptoms and self-reported level of adherence to a gluten-free diet are the most important determinants of quality of life. A urine test can detect gluten-ingestion even at low dose. Gluten intake up to 500mg (tea biscuit) did not lead to relatable symptoms in the following 48 hours. Finally, unintentional gluten ingestion is frequent in patients adhering to a gluten-free diet.
Jordy Burger (1982) finished medical school at the Free University of Amsterdam in 2001. During his gastroenterology residency, he started his PhD research focused on quality of life in coeliac disease at the Rijnstate hospital in Arnhem. Currently he works as a gastroenterologist at the Rijnstate hospital.