Celiac Disease in Short Stature Pediatric Population Presenting to Endocrinology Clinics: A Cross-Sectional Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi

Abstract

Background: Among many reasons, short stature is one of them for referring children to paediatric endocrinology. The most frequent extra-intestinal symptom of celiac disease is short stature (SS). A very high probability of celiac disease is reported among children with SS for non-endocrinological reasons. Objective: To ascertain the frequency of celiac diseases among short-stature children presenting in endocrinology clinics in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in pediatric endocrinology clinics at the National Institute of Child Health for a six-month duration from February 2022 to July 2022. All short-stature children of any gender and age from 2 to 12 years were included in the study. Short stature was defined as height for age < -2 standard deviation for the corresponding age and gender. Serological investigation including Immunoglobin A (IgA), anti-tissue-transglutaminase antibodies (TTG IgA) and TTG IgG test was done by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) method for all of the patients recruited into the study. Results: A total of 149 children with short stature were studied. The mean age of children was 10.2 ± 3.1 years. The majority of patients were males 53.7%. Average height and height for age z-score were 104.8 ± 8.9 cm and -5.1 ± 1.9 respectively. Out of 149 children, only 6.7% had positive serology for celiac diseases. None of the patients' factors was significantly different among patients with and without celiac disease. Conclusion: The current investigation discovered that patients with low stature had a substantial frequency of celiac disease. It was discovered that none of the patients' demographics were linked to celiac disease. For prompt diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease, people with short height should undergo screening.