Studies of the Familial Nature of Celiac Sprue Using Biopsy of the Small Intestine

IT is now generally accepted that celiac disease in children and idiopathic steatorrhea (nontropical sprue) in adults are phases of the same disease.1 For convenience we refer to this entity as celiac sprue.2 It has long been recognized that this disease has a familial tendency, cases being reported in parents and children,3,4 siblings5 and twins.6,7 Davidson et al.8 recorded steatorrhea in 5 members of 1 family. Davidson and Fountain9 obtained a history of steatorrhea in another family member in 9.2 per cent of 130 cases of celiac disease and in 4 per cent of 75 cases of idiopathic . . .