Cross-sectional studyindependent cross-checkabstract checked I-WHT-106 standard review
Many Egyptian children with stubborn anaemia had coeliac disease
Screening for coeliac disease among Egyptian children.
Overview
Abd El Dayem SM et al.. Arch Med Sci 2010 · PMID 22371752 · DOI 10.5114/aoms.2010.13900
Biopsies confirmed coeliac disease in 11 of 25 Egyptian children with refractory iron-deficiency anaemia.
Does the study support the specific claim? No · Methodological quality: low
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Screen Egyptian risk groups.
- How was the study done?
Serology and biopsy.
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
292 children.
- What was actually found?
High rates in anaemia and short stature.
- How large was the observed effect?
44% and 34%.
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Anaemia can signal coeliac disease.
- What are the study's limitations?
Small, selected.
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Contradicts the flour-glue explanation.
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Moderate.
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Not a population prevalence.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Abd El Dayem SM et al.
- Journal
- Arch Med Sci
- Year
- 2010
- Identifier
- PMID 22371752 DOI 10.5114/aoms.2010.13900 · PMC3281345
- Verification
- verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-26; Crossref works API 2026-10-26
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
not stated in abstract
2. Research question
How common is coeliac disease in Egyptian children with short stature, refractory IDA or type 1 diabetes?
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Cross-sectional study – Clinical screening study with jejunal biopsy
- Population
Egyptian children at clinical risk
- Country
Egypt
- Period
not stated in abstract
- Sample size
292
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Non-endocrine short stature, refractory IDA, type 1 diabetes
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Risk group
- Comparator
none
- Endpoints
Biopsy-confirmed coeliac disease; test accuracy
- Statistical methods
Proportions; sensitivity/specificity
5. Actual results
- Results
Coeliac disease by jejunal biopsy: 11/25 (44%) with refractory IDA, 23/67 (34.3%) with non-endocrine short stature, 6/200 (3%) with type 1 diabetes. AGA IgG sensitivity 80.0%, tTG 72.7%; ARA specificity 95.9%, EMA 94.7%.
- Absolute risks
not reported
- Authors' conclusion
Coeliac disease is more common in these Egyptian risk groups than previously thought; screening is mandatory; biopsy remains the cornerstone.
6. Strengths
- Egyptian data
- Biopsy-confirmed
7. Weaknesses
- Small, selected referral groups
- Wide CIs (11/25: 26.7-62.9%)
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- none applicable
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- high
- Rationale
Referral selection inflates prevalence.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
Wilson CIs recalculated (stats/C-WHT-02).
10. Relevance to the specific claim
In Egypt, refractory iron-deficiency anaemia in children is often coeliac disease, which requires diagnosis while gluten is eaten.
11. Independent contrary findings
Selected sample.
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
Moderate.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Regionally relevant, small.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | low |
| Risk of bias | high |
| Precision of results | low |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | partly replicated |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | consistent |
| Regional transferability | high |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
Adult Egyptian data.