Prevalence and clinical profile of celiac disease among malnourished children in South Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is the most common genetically related food intolerance, worldwide. The objective of this study was to study the prevalence and clinical profile of malnourished children. Methods: It was a prospective and observational study. The present study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics, Geetanjali Medical College and Hospital, Udaipur, Rajasthan. Two hundred and one children were studied. All malnourished children were initially selected and those fulfilling inclusion criteria were included in the study. A detailed interview of all the children/parents was conducted regarding symptoms commonly associated with celiac disease. All cases found positive for t-TGA (>10au/ml) were subjected to upper GI Endoscopy. Subjects were labelled as celiac disease if tissue trans-glutaminase IgA antibodies were >10 au/ml and histopathology was suggestive. Statistical analysis was done by one way ANOVA test and Chi-square as per requirements also Fisher exact and Man Whitney were applied. Results: Celiac disease was present in 23.9% of malnourished patients. Most common presenting symptoms were diarrhoea (40.2%), abdominal distension (39.9%) and abdominal pain (36.8%) and most common clinical sign was pallor, which was present in more than three-fourth of the patients (85.9%) followed by multivitamin deficiency (25.4%). Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of Celiac disease in malnourished children. Screening for Celiac disease (especially in presence of diarrhoea and abdominal distension, pain abdomen) should be an essential part of work-up in all malnourished children.

The Presentation Pattern of Celiac Disease in Central India –A Prospective Study in Children

“…A similar study conducted by Mohindra et al also suggested delayed recognition of disease. 11 The sex ratio in between male to female in our study was 1.8, which was in line with previous studies stating higher prevalence among males than females as suggested by Altwaty and Elbargathy et al and Sharma et al 12,13 Surprisingly, many studies conducted in other countries have shown to have female preponderance more than males.…”

Clinico-laboratory profile of Seropositive Celiac Diseases in Severe Acute Malnutrition

“…Sero-positivity was more in males as compared to females. Similarly male preponderance in sero-positivity was reported by Kumar Pet al [14] and Sharma M et al [18]. This suggests gender biasness in society as more male children brought for admission as compared to females.…”

“Strongyloides stercoralis infestation in a severely malnourished (SAM) celiac disease child:” A rare case report from Western Rajasthan

“…[ 1 ] It can involve people of all ages from middle infancy to old age. [ 2 ] Consuming gluten-containing foods can initiate a range of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, bloating, weight loss, and extra-intestinal signs such as anemia, osteoporosis, infertility, and nervous problems. [ 3 ] The “classical” malabsorption syndrome is characterized by diarrhea, steatorrhea, weight loss, and fatigue.…”

“…[ 3 ] The “classical” malabsorption syndrome is characterized by diarrhea, steatorrhea, weight loss, and fatigue. [ 2 ]…”

“…Treatment of choice is gluten-free diet or enzymes degrading gluten to be ingested with meals or genetically modified grains or immunotherapy. [ 2 ]…”