The Prevalence of Positivity of Anti Tissue Transglutaminase in Patients with Short Stature in Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic of Tishreen Hospital in Lattakia

Abstract

Background: Short stature is a public health problem that, by definition, affects 2.5% of the population around the world, and higher rates in some areas. Celiac disease is one of the causes of short stature, it occurs with multiple mechanisms. And it is one of the causes that can be treated and thus the final length improvement, especially with the early start of treatment. Detection of celiac disease serologically is easy and cost-effective. Aims: To determine the prevalence of antiTTG-IGA antibody positivity in patients who meet the standard definition of short stature. Methods: A cross-sectional study that included 132 short children over two years of age attending the Pediatric endocrinology Clinic at Tishreen University Hospital from the beginning of 2016 until the end of 2019. The data of the patients attending the clinic with complaints of short stature was reviewed and the patients with antiTTG-IGA antibodies were identified and their data related to anemia and clinical symptoms were analyzed. Results: The number of short children included in the study was 132 children (69 males and 63 females), 10 of whom had positive antiTTG-IGA antibodies that were 7.6%. Digestive symptoms or anemia were not statistically significant in predicting the presence of celiac disease. It was found that the near-normal BMI and the absence of severe weight growth failure do not exclude the presence of celiac disease. Conclusion: Celiac disease is an important cause of short stature that is difficult to predict through clinical symptoms, which requires for titration of antiTTG-IGA antibodies in all children with short stature.