title: Celiac disease in children with short stature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of celiac disease in children with short stature.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all children with short stature (height more than 2 SD below the mean for age and sex) and normal physical examination, attending Motahary pediatric clinic in Shiraz, Iran, from 2003 till 2005, work-ups were made to find a cause for their short stature and of course their serum was assayed for IgG anti-tissue transglutaminase (TTG) antibody by ELISA test, as a marker for CD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 26 girls and 46 boys with mean age of 9.8 years. Routine work-up showed microcytic hypochromic anemia in four children (5.6%) and giardiasis in five (6.9%). GH stimulation test revealed GH deficiency in five children (6.9%). Elevated IgG anti-TTG antibody level was detected in two children (2.8%). Duodenal biopsies of these children were in favor of celiac disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although, the prevalence of CD in this study was not significantly different (P value = 0.14) from the prevalence rate in healthy blood donors in Iran, the findings emphasize the fact that CD must be considered in a child with short stature, especially if the height is more than 3 SD below the mean for sex and age, even in the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms. In conclusion, the measurement of anti-TTG antibody should be included in the diagnostic evaluation of children with short stature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Gestroentero-hepatology Research Centre, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. dehghanism@sums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Seyed Mohsen
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dehghani
authors.forename: Ali Akbar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Asadi-Pooya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D001827:Body Height; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011503:Transglutaminases