Asaf Regev1,2, Amir Ben-Tov3,4, Anat Yerushalmy-Feler3,4, Yael Weintraub3,4, Hadar Moran-Lev3,4, Shlomi Cohen3,4, Achiya Z Amir5,6. 1. Pediatrics, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. assafre84@gmail.com. 2. Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital, the Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. assafre84@gmail.com. 3. The Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Clinic, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. 4. Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital, the Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. 5. The Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Clinic, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. achiyaa@tlvmc.gov.il. 6. Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital, the Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. achiyaa@tlvmc.gov.il.
Abstract
Celiac disease clinical presentation is constantly changing. We set to determine the prevalence of elevated transaminases in newly diagnosed celiac patients and to evaluate this sub-group of patients for associated clinical and laboratory findings and assess their natural course of disease following therapeutic diet initiation. We conducted a prospective-observational study of all newly diagnosed pediatric celiac patients, between August 2016 and April 2018, in a pediatric gastroenterology clinic. Clinical data, anthropometrics, and blood test results were recorded at diagnosis and at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively, of follow-up. We compared patients with normal and elevated transaminases at diagnosis. ALT threshold was set at 24 U/l. Of 125 newly diagnosed celiac patients, 31 (24.8%) had elevated ALT at diagnosis; two (1.6%) with over 3 × ULN. Patients with elevated ALT at diagnosis were significantly younger (mean age 5.5 (SD 3.4) vs. 7.3 (SD 3.7) years, p < 0.01) and more commonly presented with diarrhea (32.3% vs. 14.9%, p = 0.03). Eighty percent of patients with elevated ALT levels normalized their ALT within 3 months and all within 1 year. Following gluten-free diet initiation, patients with elevated ALT had similar clinical course, growth, serology normalization rate, and laboratory results, compared to patients with normal ALT over a 1-year follow-up. A single patient was simultaneously co-diagnosed with celiac disease and autoimmune hepatitis. Conclusion: Clinically significant ALT abnormalities are rare among newly diagnosed pediatric celiac patients. Significant elevations failing to normalize on a gluten-free diet should raise concern of a concomitant primary liver disease and warrant further investigations. What is Known: • Elevated liver enzymes may be an extra-intestinal manifestation of celiac disease. • Reported prevalences of ALT elevations among children with a new diagnosis of celiac disease ranges between 5 and 40%. What is New: • ALT elevations are present in 25% of children with a new diagnosis of celiac disease. • Significant elevations (>3 × ULN) are rare (1.6%). • Elevated liver enzymes are associated with earlier age at diagnosis. • The natural history of patients with elevated liver enzymes at diagnosis is comparable to those without.
Celiac disease clinical presentation is constantly changing. We set to determine the prevalence of elevated transaminases in newly diagnosed celiac patients and to evaluate this sub-group of patients for associated clinical and laboratory findings and assess their natural course of disease following therapeutic diet initiation. We conducted a prospective-observational study of all newly diagnosed pediatric celiac patients, between August 2016 and April 2018, in a pediatric gastroenterology clinic. Clinical data, anthropometrics, and blood test results were recorded at diagnosis and at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively, of follow-up. We compared patients with normal and elevated transaminases at diagnosis. ALT threshold was set at 24 U/l. Of 125 newly diagnosed celiac patients, 31 (24.8%) had elevated ALT at diagnosis; two (1.6%) with over 3 × ULN. Patients with elevated ALT at diagnosis were significantly younger (mean age 5.5 (SD 3.4) vs. 7.3 (SD 3.7) years, p < 0.01) and more commonly presented with diarrhea (32.3% vs. 14.9%, p = 0.03). Eighty percent of patients with elevated ALT levels normalized their ALT within 3 months and all within 1 year. Following gluten-free diet initiation, patients with elevated ALT had similar clinical course, growth, serology normalization rate, and laboratory results, compared to patients with normal ALT over a 1-year follow-up. A single patient was simultaneously co-diagnosed with celiac disease and autoimmune hepatitis. Conclusion: Clinically significant ALT abnormalities are rare among newly diagnosed pediatric celiac patients. Significant elevations failing to normalize on a gluten-free diet should raise concern of a concomitant primary liver disease and warrant further investigations. What is Known: • Elevated liver enzymes may be an extra-intestinal manifestation of celiac disease. • Reported prevalences of ALT elevations among children with a new diagnosis of celiac disease ranges between 5 and 40%. What is New: • ALT elevations are present in 25% of children with a new diagnosis of celiac disease. • Significant elevations (>3 × ULN) are rare (1.6%). • Elevated liver enzymes are associated with earlier age at diagnosis. • The natural history of patients with elevated liver enzymes at diagnosis is comparable to those without.
Authors: A R Di Biase; A Colecchia; E Scaioli; R Berri; L Viola; A Vestito; F Balli; D Festi Journal: Aliment Pharmacol Ther Date: 2009-10-29 Impact factor: 8.171