Growth and Final Height in Children with Autoimmune Hepatitis; A long term observation

Background: Abnormal growth in children with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is anticipated, either due to hepatic affection or the growth inhibitory effects of corticosteroids. We aimed to describe children s anthropometry with AIH, and study the factors affecting height. Methods: The present observational study investigates the anthropometric measures of 28 children with AIH followed at a university hospital for 9.5±3 years. We calculated the initial AIH score, the Child-Pugh score, and the pediatric end-stage liver disease score (PELD), follow-up anthropometry, and corticosteroid history. We defined abnormal growth as under nutrition (underweight, wasting, stunting), short stature, overweight, and obesity. Results: At AIH diagnosis, children had a mean age of 7.4±3.1 years, ranging from 2 to 13.8; among whom ~20% had ascites, ~79% had jaundice, and ~82% had type 1 AIH, ~70% had a definite diagnosis of AIH, ~64% were Child-Pugh Score B, ~64% showed severe fibrosis/cirrhosis, and the median PELD score was 8.1 (0.1-12.1). At follow-up, their mean age was 15.9±1.6 years, with mean corticosteroid duration of 7.1±3.1 years, and remission occurred in 50%. We observed a significant improvement in the initial rates of underweight (46.4% vs. 17.8%), mainly stunted, and increased rates of overweight/obesity (14.3% vs. 32.2%). The final rates of height affection without weight affection were comparable to the initials (28.6% vs. 32.1%). Cases with abnormally low final height had significantly more frequent Child-Pugh Score B, higher PELD score, and severe hepatic fibrosis at presentation, with no difference regarding the continuation/ total duration of steroids. Conclusion: the final height in children with AIH is significantly affected by the disease severity at presentation and not the continuation or the duration of corticosteroids use.