OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency of positive serological marker for celiac disease in children and adolescents with short stature using the human antibody anti-transglutaminase as a screening test. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April to September/2004 with 78 children and adolescents selected by convenience when attending the outpatient clinic of two university hospitals of Recife, Northeast Brazil. Cases were children and adolescents with short stature, defined as height-for-age and sex below the 3rd percentile of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS, 2000) growth curve. The human antibody anti-transglutaminase (AATGh) was defined as positive when >20U/mL. For those with a positive result, IgA anti-endomysial antibody was assessed. RESULTS: Out of the 78 patients evaluated, 41 (53%) were females. The AATGh was positive in 3/78 (3.8%) patients. The IgA anti-endomysial antibody was positive in one patient, who had the highest AATGh concentration. Taking those with positivity for both tests, the seropositivity was 1.3%. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of serological marker of celiac disease in children and adolescents with low stature of low-income families highlights the need for systematic investigation of celiac disease in these patients.
failure to thrive; celiac disease; child; adolescent
