title: Celiac disease: presentation of 109 children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The clinical features of patients with celiac disease (CD) are variable. In the present study, clinical and laboratory features of 109 patients with CD were retrospectively evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all cases, diagnosis of CD was made by European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) criteria and clinical and laboratory findings, including hematological and biochemical analyses, immunoglobulin levels, autoantibodies [antinucler antibody (ANA), antidouble stranded DNA (dsDNA), antimitochondrial antibody (AMA), anti-smooth muscle antibody (ASMA), liver kidney antibody (LKM-1), anti thyroid peroxidase (TPO), anti thyroglobulin (Tg)], bone mineral density (BMD), and electroencephalogram were evaluated. The type of CD was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 109 patients with CD, 66 (60.6%) were classical type, 41 (37.6%) were atypical type and 2 (1.8%) were silent type. The mean age was 8.81 +/- 4.63 years and the most common symptom was diarrhea (53.2%) followed by failure to thrive, short stature, and abdominal pain. Paleness (40.4%), underweight (34.8%), and short stature (31.2%) were the most common findings. Iron deficinecy anemia (81.6%), zinc deficiency (64.1%), prolonged prothrombin time (35.8%), and elevated transaminase levels (24.7%) were the most common laboratory findings. Eight percent of patients had at least 1 autoantibody, and 28 of 52 patients had low BMD. Four of 38 patients had abnormalty in electroencephalograms. The prevalance of selective immunoglobulin (Ig) A deficiency was 9.1%. Histocompatibility antigen HLA-DQ and/or DQ8 genotypes were found in 91% of patients. Abdominal distention, iron deficiency, prolonged prothrombine time, hypoalbuminemia, and elevated transaminase levels were more significantly frequent in the classical type than atypical type (p < 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although classical CD was seen in most patients in the present study, clinical variability of the condition should be kept in mind.
authors.affiliation: Dapartment of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Ankara University, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. zarifekuloglu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Zarife
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kuloğlu
authors.forename: Ceyda Tuna
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Kirsaçlioğlu
authors.forename: Aydan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kansu
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ensari
authors.forename: Nurten
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Girgin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey