title: Coeliac disease in Sudanese children with clinical features suggestive of the disease.
abstract: Our prospective hospital-based study examined frequency, clinical presentation and serological indicators of coeliac disease that correlated with intestinal biopsy among high-risk Sudanese children. From July 2001 to July 2002, 80 children aged 15 months-18 years presented with poor appetite, weight loss, pallor and proximal muscle wasting. We diagnosed coeliac disease in 18 (22.5%). Antigliadin antibodies (AGA-IgG, AGA-IgA or both) were high in 44; endomysial antibody retest was high in 30. Guardians of 12 children refused consent for biopsy. The other 18 were biopsied: 5 had total villous atrophy, 8 subtotal and 5 partial. All improved with gluten-free diet. Degree of villous atrophy did not correlate with diarrhoea duration or severity, anaemia severity or serological titres.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Sudan. awa36ame@Yahoo.com
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.forename: Z E A
authors.initials: ZE
authors.lastname: Karrar
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: El-Safi
mesh_terms: D000855:Anorexia / Q000209:etiology; D001706:Biopsy; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005903:Gliadin / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000209:etiology; D010167:Pallor / Q000209:etiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013397:Sudan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D005903:Gliadin