PO8 OATS IN THE DIET OF CHILDREN WITH CELIAC DISEASE: PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, MULTICENTER ITALIAN STUDY

and 6 months (6mo). PCDAI was calculated at the beginning and at 6 months. Statistical analysis was performed using Student’s t test and the value of p< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Calprotectin mean value was 1296.4±1203.8mcg/ml at the onset, 645.9±623.8 at 1 month (p< 0.05); 633.6±722.5 (p< 0.05) at 3 months; 642.89±532.00 (p< 0.05) at 6 months. PCDAI of all patients was 20.00±4.5 at the beginning of NT, 14.8±5.5 at 6mo (p< 0.05), that indicates reduction of values, but not complete clinical remission (PCDAI <10). Patients were then divided in two groups on the basis of their personal feeling about wellbeing. Twelve patients (48%) referred clinical improvement (group 1), while 13 did not (group 2). In group 1 PCDAI was 19.5±4.4 pre-treatment and 10.4±2.9 at 6mo (p = 0.0004). In group 2 PCDAI was 20.5±4.6 pretreatment and 18.5±4.4 at 6mo (p = n.s.). No difference in PCDAI values was observed at the beginning of the treatment between the two groups (p = n.s.). PCDAI values at 6mo were significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.000). NT demonstrated to be effective in inducing significant clinical improvement in half of patients in our series. When after years of follow-up we revaluated our data on the basis of the disease evolution, we noted that 3 patients (23%) of the group 2 presented a severe inflammatory form, 31% developed a penetrating disease and 46% a stricturing form. Only one patient (8%) of the group 1 developed a complicated form (penetrating). Our data confirm that NT can be useful to induce and maintain clinical remission in moderated CD pediatric patients. The fact that we observed that most of non responders developed a complicated form of disease suggests that the absence of response to NT could be associated to a more complicated course of CD.