Editorial
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World J Gastroenterol. Dec 28, 2009; 15(48): 6028-6033
Published online Dec 28, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.6028
Indian task force for celiac disease: Current status
Rajesh Gupta, Duvvuru Nageshwar Reddy, Govind K Makharia, Ajit Sood, Balakrishnan S Ramakrishna, Surender Kumar Yachha, Babu Ram Thapa, Rupa Banerjee, Sekaran Anuradha, Usha Dutta, Amarender Singh Puri, Ajay Kumar Jain, Chris JJ Mulder, Ajay Kumar, Sesikeran Boindala
Rajesh Gupta, Duvvuru Nageshwar Reddy, Rupa Banerjee, Department of Gastroenterology, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Hyderabad 500082, India
Govind K Makharia, Department of Gastroenterology, AIIMS, New Delhi 110029, India
Ajit Sood, Department of Gastroenterology, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana 141001, India
Balakrishnan S Ramakrishna, Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, CMC Vellore 632002, India
Surender Kumar Yachha, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, SGPGIMS, Lucknow 226014, India
Babu Ram Thapa, Usha Dutta, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, PGIMER, Chandigarh 160012, India
Sekaran Anuradha, Department of Pathology, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Hyderabad 500082, India
Amarender Singh Puri, Department of Gastroenterology, GB PANT Hospital, New Delhi 110029, India
Ajay Kumar Jain, Department of Gastroenterology, Choithram Hospital & Research Centre, Indore 452014, India
Chris JJ Mulder, Department of Gastroenterology, VU University Medical Center, Postbox 7057, Amsterdam 1007 MB, The Netherlands
Ajay Kumar, Department of Gastroenterology, Indraprasth Apollo Hospital, New Delhi 110029, India
Sesikeran Boindala, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad 500 082, India
Author contributions: Gupta R, Makharia GK, Mulder CJJ wrote the manuscript and contributed the contents; Reddy DN, Sood A, Ramakrishna BS, Yachha SK, Thapa BR, Banerjee R, Anuradha S, Dutta U, Puri AS, Jain AK, Kumar A and Boindala S contributed the contents; Reddy DN and Kumar A reviewed the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Dr. Rajesh Gupta, MD, DM, Department of Gastroenterology, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Somajiguda, Hyderabad 500082, India. aigindiainfo@yahoo.co.in
Telephone: +91-40-23378888 Fax: +91-40-23324255
Received: September 2, 2009
Revised: September 25, 2009
Accepted: October 2, 2009
Published online: December 28, 2009
Abstract

There are limited data on celiac disease (CD) from India. The limited knowledge about CD in India might be attributed to several factors. The first meeting of the Indian Task Force for Celiac Disease was held in the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Hyderabad, India in December 2008. The objectives of the meeting were to focus research on prevalence of CD in the wheat-eating Northern vs the rice-eating Southern Indian population, low-budget serological assays to study the underprivileged population, to involve other medical subspecialties in CD, to suggest proper legislation regarding wheat food labeling, and to organize affordable food substitutes for patients with celiac disease.

Keywords: Celiac disease; Food labeling; Gluten-free diet; India; Legislation; Malnutrition; Rice; Wheat