title: Shortness: an unknown phenotype of multiple endocrine  neoplasia type 1.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An observation of shortness among the female participants of a regular screening program in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) patients has raised the question as to whether shortness represents a phenotype characteristic of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The body height (cm) of genetically confirmed MEN1 patients at the time of diagnosis was compared with the body height of their unaffected relatives (parents, siblings, and children), the midparental body height, and the body height of the age-matched German population. Univariate analysis of the clinical variables was performed using the t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and ANOVA as appropriate, and multivariate analysis was performed as a logistic regression analysis. P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean body height of 22 female MEN1 patients (mean age 33.5 years) was 161 +/- 5 cm and thus significantly lesser than the body heights of their unaffected female relatives (mean 165.5 +/- 7.3 cm, P=0.027) and the age-matched German female population (mean 167 cm, P=0.0001) and mid-parental height (177.5 cm, P<0.0001). The mean body height of 24 male MEN1 patients (mean age 34.8 years) was also lesser (177 +/- 6.5 cm) than the average body height of German males in this age group (180 cm, P=0.031) and tended to be lesser than that of their unaffected male relatives (178.5 +/- 5.8 cm, P=0.0915) and the mid-parental body height (177.5 cm, P=0.124).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Small body height is a yet unrecognized phenotype characteristic of MEN1 patients, especially in women. The mechanisms behind this phenotypical characteristic warrant further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Marburg, Germany. lopez@med.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: Caroline L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waldmann
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fendrich
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sitter
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nies
authors.forename: Detlef K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Bartsch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001827:Body Height / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018761:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D010290:Parents; D010641:Phenotype; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C105373:MEN1 protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins