title: Bone mineral density, vitamin D, and disease activity in children newly diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine bone mineral density and serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D in relation to disease activity in children newly diagnosed with IBD.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional analytic study, 60 children newly diagnosed with IBD (39 with Crohn's disease [CD], mean age 12.2 ± 2.1 years; and 21 with ulcerative colitis [UC], mean age 12.4 ± 3.7 years) were recruited. Fifty-six age- and sex-matched children without IBD were invited as controls (mean age 11.3 ± 4.2 years). Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D for patients and controls was measured at diagnosis. Patients' adjusted lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) z scores were measured. Activity indices for both CD and UC were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D was significantly lower in children with IBD compared to the control group (P = 0.04). BMD was significantly lower in patients with CD compared to those with UC (P = 0.039). There was no correlation between vitamin D levels, BMD z scores or disease activity indices for both CD and UC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum vitamin D level is significantly lower in children with newly diagnosed IBD compared to those without. However, vitamin D levels are not affected by disease severity. It seems that BMD status may not be affected by vitamin D levels or disease severity in this cohort. Larger prospective controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings.
authors: Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP, UK. wael.el-matary@alderhey.nhs.uk
authors: Wael
authors: W
authors: El-Matary
authors: Sheena
authors: S
authors: Sikora
authors: Donald
authors: D
authors: Spady
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D015519:Bone Density; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D