The Prevalence of Growth Hormone Deficiency and Celiac Disease in Short Children

• Published in: Clinical medicine & research Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 180 - 183
• Main Authors: Giovenale, Diletta, Meazza, Cristina, Cardinale, Giuliana M, Sposito, Maddalena, Mastrangelo, Costanzo, Messini, Beatrice, Citro, Giuseppe, Delvecchio, Maurizio, Di Maio, Salvatore, Bozzola, Mauro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Marshfield Clinic 01.09.2006; 2006. Clinical Medicine & Research
• Subjects: Adolescent; Body Height; Celiac Disease - blood; Celiac Disease - complications; Celiac Disease - diagnosis; Celiac Disease - diet therapy; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Glutens - administration & dosage; Growth Disorders - blood; Growth Disorders - complications; Human Growth Hormone - blood; Human Growth Hormone - deficiency; Humans; Italy; Male; Original Research; Retrospective Studies; Italy
• ISSN: 1539-4182; 1554-6179
• DOI: 10.3121/cmr.4.3.180

To assess the occurrence of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in patients with celiac disease (CD) referred for short stature. A retrospective, multi-center study. A total of 7066 children with short stature were referred to a number of centers for second-line evaluation over a 5-year period. All patients were screened for CD by antiendomysial antibodies (EMA) and antitissue transglutaminase IgA. Those with positive sera underwent intestinal biopsy. The EMA-negative patients and the EMA-positive ones who did not grow after 1 year of gluten-free diet underwent endocrinological investigation. Among the 7066 short children (age 2-14 years) evaluated, 650 (9.2%) had GHD and 44 (0.63%) had CD. An association of both CD and GHD was found in 16 short children (0.23%); these children did not grow after 1 year of gluten-free diet and therefore GH treatment was started. GH secretion should be evaluated in celiac patients showing no catch-up growth after an appropriate period on a gluten-free diet in spite of reversion to seronegativity for EMA.