Iron deficiency anemia in celiac disease

Core Tip

Core tip: Iron is a critical micronutrient that may be deficient in well-established celiac disease or be the presenting clinical feature even in the absence of diarrhea or weight loss. Most often, impaired duodenal mucosal uptake of iron is evident since surface absorptive area in the duodenum in reduced, in large part, because celiac disease is an immune-mediated disorder largely focused in the proximal small intestine. Other superimposed small intestinal complications of celiac disease may be responsible causing blood loss, including ulceration or neoplasia. Finally, associated gastric or colonic causes of blood loss, immune-mediated hemolysis and reduced expression of different regulatory proteins critical in iron uptake may be present.