Children with celiac disease and high tTGA are genetically and phenotypically different

Table 3 Human leukocyte antigen distribution, Marsh classification in celiac disease patients n (%)

	tTGA < 100 U/mL (n = 34)	tTGA≥100 U/mL (n = 82)	P value
HLA-score
1 heterodimer	21 (61.8)	26 (31.7)
2 heterodimers	2 (5.9)	20 (24.4)	0.005
4 heterodimers	11 (32.4)	36 (43.9)
Marsh classification			< 0.001
Marsh IIIa	5 (14.7)	4 (4.9)
Marsh IIIb	22 (64.7)	18 (22.0)
Marsh IIIc	7 (20.6)	60 (73.2)
	n = 331	n = 731	< 0.001
Patchy lesions2	14 (42.4)	5 (6.8)

¹Only 106 patients out of the total study population also underwent duodenal bulb biopsies;

²Discrepancy in the diagnosis based on histology in the duodenal bulb vs in the distal duodenum. HLA: Human leukocyte antigen; tTGA: Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies.