Ameer Ahmad, Atta Ullah Mazhar, Muhammad Usman, Memoona Mazhar.
Evaluation of celiac disease serological markers in children presenting with features of malabsorption.
Pak Paed J Jan ;35(2):81-5.

Objective: To evaluate celiac disease serological markers in children presenting with features of malabsorption. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Setting and duration: Department of Paediatric Unit-1 from-March 2007 to Feb. 2010. Patients and methods: In this study children presenting with chronic diarrhea and features suggestive of malabsorption like bulky, offensive and greasy stools, abdominal distension, failure to thrive, short stature or pallor were included with non-probability convenient sampling technique. While patients of malabsorption due to known reasons like abdominal tuberculosis or giardiasis were excluded. Detailed history and physical examination regarding presence or absence of above features of malabsorption with duration and the age at which cereals were introduced in the weaning of the child was carried out. Patients’ venous blood was sent for serology of the celiac disease. SPSS version 10.00 was used to analyze the data. Results: 323 patients having features suggestive of malabsorption were included. Male to female ratio in the studied population was 2:1. In 228 out of 323 patients serology was positive for the celiac disease. Statistically significant number of patients (123/160) tested positive for serological markers of celiac disease were over 5 years (p=0.037). Early introduction of cereals (< 6 months of age) pallor and abdominal distention were statistically common in these patients. Conclusion: Detection of serological markers for celiac disease in significant number of patients with malabsorption suggests that celiac disease may be very common in these patients.

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