Short stature, celiac disease and growth hormone deficiency

Exploring Celiac Disease: A Case Analysis of Multi-Systemic Symptoms and Effective Dietary Intervention in a Young Female

This study presents the case of a 23-year-old woman diagnosed with celiac disease (CD), a condition triggered by an immune response to gluten, leading to inflammation in the small intestine. The patient manifested typical gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting, complemented by extra-intestinal signs such as fatigue and skin rashes. Diagnosis was corroborated through the presence of tTG-IgA antibodies and distinct histological changes in the duodenum. A notable finding was the patient's iron deficiency anemia, directly linked to the duodenal damage caused by CD. Effective management, encompassing a strict gluten-free diet and iron supplementation, resulted in marked improvement in her condition. This case accentuates the significance of early CD detection, especially in patients exhibiting a combination of gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms. Emphasis is placed on the pivotal role of timely diagnosis, adherence to a gluten-free regimen, and sustained monitoring to ensure patient well-being and prevent complications.

Celiac disease in paediatric patients in the United Arab Emirates: a single-center descriptive study

Introduction

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder that is provoked by the consumption of gluten in genetically vulnerable individuals. CD affects individuals worldwide with an estimated prevalence of 1% and can manifest at any age. Growth retardation and anemia are common presentations in children with CD. The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of CD in multiple "at risk groups" and to characterize children with CD, presented to a tertiary hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Methods

The study reviewed medical charts of all patients <18 years who had received serologic testing for CD. The study was conducted at Al Jalila Children's Specialty Hospital in Dubai, UAE, from January 2018 to July 2021. Extracted information from medical records included sociodemographics, laboratory findings, clinical presentation, and any associated co-morbidities. The European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) criteria were used to identify patients with CD.

Results

During the study period, 851 paediatric patients underwent serological screening for CD, out of which, 23 (2.7%) were confirmed with CD. Of the 23 patients diagnosed with CD, 43.5% had no gastrointestinal symptoms. Diabetes type 1 (30.4%) followed by iron deficiency anaemia (30%) and Hashimoto thyroiditis (9%) were the most commonly associated comorbidities. The prevalence of CD among paediatric patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (12.5%) was 1.92-times higher than that among paediatric patients with diabetes type 1 (6.5%).

Conclusion

The results of this study show that almost three out of every 100 paediatric patients who were screened for CD were confirmed to have the condition. These findings highlight the importance of screening children who are at risk or present symptoms suggestive of CD, to ensure early diagnosis and appropriate management.

Growth and development in type 1 diabetes

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature on the subject of linear growth in children and adolescents with or at risk for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

RECENT FINDINGS

Poor glycemic control in T1DM is associated with growth hormone resistance, and improving glycemic control can improve linear growth. Newer reports suggest that the increasingly popular very low carbohydrate diets, may reduce linear growth velocity.

SUMMARY

Linear growth during childhood is a complex process regulated influenced by genetic, hormonal, nutritional and environmental factors. Linear growth may be impaired in children with T1DM, correlating with poor metabolic control; an extreme example is Mauriac syndrome. This decrement in linear growth appears to be driven in part by a reduction in growth hormone responsiveness, leading to low insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels. Improving glycemic control can lead to improved IGF-1 levels and linear growth. Other factors associated with poor linear growth in T1DM include celiac disease and dietary alterations, with early reports suggesting that very low carbohydrate diets, if not carefully managed, may increase risk of attenuated linear growth. This review examines the latest data regarding the associations between T1DM and linear growth in children.

Look Beyond Gluten in Short Stature with Celiac Disease - A Prospective, Interventional Study

OBJECTIVE

Short stature (SS) is a common manifestation of celiac disease (CD). After starting gluten free diet (GFD), children usually have catch-up growth (improvement in height SDS of >1 SD). However, few children in remission, even on GFD, lack catch up growth. This study was planned to assess the growth hormone (GH) axis and the prevalence of anti-pituitary antibodies in such patients.

METHODS

It was a single-centre, prospective study. Patients with CD in remission for the last 1 y, having SS and lacking catch-up growth, were included after excluding other common causes of SS. GH dynamics were studied using stimulation tests: Insulin tolerance test, clonidine stimulation test, and glucagon stimulation test. GH deficiency (GHD) was defined as non-stimulable response to 2 GH stimulation tests. Anti-pituitary antibodies were analysed in these patients using rat pituitary extract as antigen.

RESULTS

Ten patients (8 girls), with a mean age of 10 ± 2.8 y, in serological remission for CD and lacking catch-up growth, were enrolled. All had a height SDS of < -2. Fifteen age matched children with CD and adequate catch up growth served as controls. GHD was seen in 7 patients (70%), out of whom 2 received GH therapy and had an improvement in the height SDS from -2.7 to -1.4 and from -2.1 to 2.4 (over 1 y), respectively. Anti-pituitary antibodies were seen in significant titres in 55.5% of the cases and 40% of the controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with CD in remission but lacking catch-up growth should be evaluated for GHD.

Evaluation of malnutrition status and clinical indications in children with celiac disease: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Celiac Disease (CD) is an autoimmune systemic disorder triggered by gluten in genetically susceptible individuals, which can lead to chronic malabsorption. Considering the changes in the manifestations of CD, this study aimed to determine anthropometric indices and clinical indications in children with CD.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the children with CD who had referred to Imam Reza Celiac Clinic between 2016 and 2019. Totally, 361 children were eligible and their anti-tissue transglutaminase (TGA-IgA) level, weight, height, and Body Mass Index (BMI) were extracted from their records. The anthropometric indices were presented based on the criteria of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). The prevalent symptoms were assessed, as well.

RESULTS

Based on the CDC's criteria, 18.3, 28.8, and 25.8% of the children had short stature, low body weight, and low BMI, respectively. These measures were obtained as 10, 22.4, and 13.9% according to the WHO's categorization respectively. Furthermore, the most common symptoms among the children were abdominal pain (56.5%), skeletal pain (28%), constipation (27.4%), and anemia (23.8%).

CONCLUSION

To sum up, the results clearly indicated that growth failure and low height, weight, and BMI were prevalent among the children with CD. Moreover, in addition to gastrointestinal symptoms, a considerable number of patients had skeletal pain and anemia.

Oral manifestations of celiac disease in French children

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated systemic disorder caused by ingestion of the gluten found in wheat, rye, and barley. The currently estimated prevalence in children is about 1%. CD is a chronic enteropathy with gastrointestinal manifestations including diarrhea, abdominal distension and weight loss, but extra-intestinal features are increasingly being reported. Dental and oral manifestations such as dental enamel defects (ED), delay in dental eruption, and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) are well-recognized manifestations of CD. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of oral manifestations (ED, RAS and delay in dental eruption) on deciduous and permanent teeth between children with CD and a control population. An oral examination was performed on 28 CD children and 59 control children. All children were younger than 12 years old and had deciduous or mixed dentition. CD children had significantly more ED and RAS than the control group (67.9% vs. 33.9% P=0.004 and 50.0% vs. 21.8% P=0.011, respectively). No delay in dental eruption was observed in CD children. ED were mainly grade I and II of Aine's classification (color defects and slight structural defects). ED were more often seen on CD children's deciduous teeth than on permanent teeth (57.1% and 13.6%, respectively; P<0.001). The main teeth affected by ED are the second molar and canines of the deciduous teeth, and the first molar, central incisor, and lateral incisors of the permanent teeth. RAS and ED that were symmetrical in all quadrants and occurred firstly in teeth that mineralize during the first year of life both seem to be signs of CD. Thus, more information for dentists and pediatricians on these oral manifestations should help improve detection of CD.

The pre-treatment characteristics and evaluation of the effects of recombinant human growth hormone therapy in children with growth hormone deficiency and celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease

The aim of the study

was to investigate the coincidence of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and celiac disease (CD) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in patients referred for short stature, and to evaluate the baseline anthropometric parameters and the effectiveness of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy in the first year in those patients (GHD+CD/IBD subgroup) in comparison to patients with GHD without CD or IBD (GHD-CD/IBD subgroup).

Material and methods

The study was retrospective and included 2196 short patients (height SDS [Standard Deviation Score] ≤ –1.2). 1454 patients had height SDS ≤ –2. Twenty-nine patients suffered from CD or IBD. GHD was confirmed in 419 patients with height SDS ≤ –2. The coexistence of GHD and CD or IBD was found in seven patients (GHD+CD/IBD subgroup).

Results

At baseline the GHD-CD/IBD subgroup did not differ significantly in chronological age, height SDS, height velocity (HV) before rhGH therapy, body weight SDS, and body mass index SDS from the GHD+CD/IBD subgroup. The improvement in height SDS within the first year of rhGH therapy was higher in the GHD+CD/IBD subgroup than in the GHD-CD/IBD subgroup and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). HV in the first year of rhGH therapy was also significantly higher in the GHD+CD/IBD subgroup than in the GHD-CD/IBD subgroup (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

In patients with chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, especially celiac disease, coexisting with GHD, rhGH therapy could be effective and should be administered together with therapy of primary gastrointestinal disease.

Why were Sardinians the shortest Europeans? A journey through genes, infections, nutrition, and sex

Since ancient times the Mediterranean island of Sardinia has been known for harboring a population with an average body height shorter than almost every other ethnic group in Europe. After over a century of investigations, the cause(s) at the origin of this uniqueness are not yet clear. The shorter stature of Sardinians appears to have been documented since prehistoric times, as revealed by the analysis of skeletal remains discovered in archaeological sites on the island. Recently, a number of genetic, hormonal, environmental, infective and nutritional factors have been put forward to explain this unique anthropometric feature, which persisted for a long time, even when environmental and living conditions improved around 1960. Although some of the putative factors are supported by sound empirical evidence, weaker support is available for others. The recent advent of whole genome analysis techniques shed new light on specific variants at the origin of this short stature. However, the marked geographical variability of stature across time and space within the island, and the well-known presence of pockets of short height in the population of the southern districts, are still puzzling findings that have attracted the interest of anthropologists and geneticists. The purpose of this review is to focus on the state-of-the-art research on stature, as well as the factors that made Sardinians the shortest among Europeans.

Adult Celiac Disease: Patients Are Shorter Compared with Their Peers in the General Population

BACKGROUND Delay in diagnosis of celiac disease (CD) occurs frequently, although its consequences are mostly not known. One of the presented symptoms in pediatric patients with CD is the short stature. However, far too little attention has been paid to physical features including height of adult patients with CD. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether patients suffering from CD are shorter in comparison with the general population without CD. As well, we evaluated probable correlations between demographic and physical features, main complains, serum anti tTG level, and intestinal pathology damage between short (lower quartile) versus tall stature (upper quartile) patients with CD. METHODS This was a retrospective cross-sectional study on 219 adult patients diagnosed as having CD in the Celiac Disease Center, between June 2008 and June 2014 in Mashhad, Iran. The exclusion criteria were ages less than 18 and more than 60 years. Height was compared with a group of 657 age- and sex matched control cases from the healthy population. The probable influencing factors on height such as intestinal pathology, serum level of anti-tissue transglutaminase(anti-tTG), serum vitamin D, and hemoglobin level at the time of diagnosis were assessed and were compared in short (lower quartile) versus tall stature (upper quartile) patients with CD. RESULTS Both male (n=65) and female (n=154) patients with CD were shorter than their counterpart in the general population (males: 168.5±8.6 to 171.3±7.2cm, p <0.01 and females: 154.8±10.58 to 157.8±7.2 cm, p <0.01). Spearman linear correlation showed height in patient with CD was correlated with serum hemoglobin (p <0.001, r=0.285) and bone mineral density (p<0.001) and not with serum vitamin D levels (p =0.024, r=0.237), but was not correlated with anti-tTG serum levels (p=0.97). CD patients with upper and lower quartile of height in men and women had no significant difference in the anti-tTG level and degree of duodenal pathology(Marsh grade). Anemia as main complaint was more prevalent in shorter versus taller men. CONCLUSION Adults with CD are shorter compared with healthy adults. There is a direct correlation between height and anemia and bone mineral density. This finding highlights the importance of early detection and treatment of CD.

Influence of adult height on rheumatoid arthritis: association with disease activity, impairment of joint function and overall disability

Objectives

To investigate whether normal variation of adult height is associated with clinical characteristics in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), including disease activity (DAS28), impairment of joint function (mechanical joint score, MJS) and overall disability (health assessment questionnaire, HAQ).

Methods

A cohort (134 males, 287 females) of consecutively recruited RA patients of Northern European origin was studied. Height, weight and demographic information were obtained. A core set of disease measurements, including DAS28, MJS and HAQ, were recorded at baseline, 12 and 24 months. Other clinical variables (e.g. disease duration, IgM rheumatoid factor, antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate) were recorded at baseline. Socioeconomic status, smoking status, comorbid condition, other autoimmune conditions and drug therapy were also recorded. Associations were analyzed using univariate statistics and multivariate linear regression models. Mediation tests were also carried out for evaluating the relationship between gender, height and disease measures.

Results

In males, height was inversely associated with DAS28, MJS and HAQ (at baseline and over 24 months) independent of other factors (e.g. weight, body mass index, age, disease duration, osteoporosis, autoantibodies, erosive disease, joint replacement, steroid use, smoking status, socioeconomic status and comorbid disease). In females, a similar trend was seen but the relationships were non significant. In the whole population, the association of female gender with more active disease and poor function disappeared after adjustment for height. Mediation analysis indicated that height served as a full mediator in the relationship of gender with disease activity and overall disability. Confirmation of these findings was demonstrated in a second RA population (n = 288).

Conclusion

Adult height is inversely associated with disease activity, impairment of joint function and overall disability in RA, particularly in males. The association of female sex with more severe disease activity and disability appears to be mediated by smaller stature.