title: Clinical features of children with screening-identified evidence of celiac disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  At-risk groups commonly undergo screening for autoantibodies associated with celiac disease (CD). However, the clinical significance of a positive test remains uncertain. The objective of this study was to evaluate growth and clinical features of children who test positive for an autoantibody associated with CD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study of Denver area healthy infants and young children with and without CD autoantibodies was conducted. A cohort of HLA-characterized children were followed prospectively since birth for the development of immunoglobulin A antitissue transglutaminase autoantibodies (TG). Clinical evaluation, questionnaire, blood draw, and small bowel biopsy were performed. Growth and nutrition and frequency of positive responses were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with 100 age- and gender-matched TG-negative controls, 18 TG-positive children, 5.5 +/- 0.5 years of age, had a greater number of symptoms and lower z scores for weight-for-height and for body mass index. Responses that were independently associated with TG-positive status were irritability/lethargy, abdominal distention/gas, and difficulty with weight gain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Screening-identified TG-positive children demonstrate mild alterations in growth and nutrition and report more symptoms than control subjects. Additional study is needed on the benefit and risk of identifying CD in at-risk groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado, USA. hoffenberg.edward@tchden.org
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hoffenberg
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Emery
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Barriga
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: George S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Eisenbarth
authors.forename: Joel E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Sokol
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Taki
authors.forename: Jill M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rewers
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001706:Biopsy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D008403:Mass Screening; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D011503:Transglutaminases