title: Bone mineral density and growth in children with coeliac disease on a gluten free-diet.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate changes in growth and bone metabolism during consumption of a gluten-free diet (GFD) in children with coeliac disease (CD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-seven children with CD (mean age of 8.8 ± 4.6 years, 21 girls) were enrolled. Anthropometric measurements, bone mineral density (BMD) in lumbar 2-4 vertebrae, and serum alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and phosphorus levels at diagnosis and at follow-up were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up period was 3.5 ± 2.3 years. The BMD of patients was significantly lower than that of control subjects at the time of diagnosis but not after 1 year of the GFD. Incidence of low BMD with respect to z-scores for chronological age (CA) was significantly higher than z-scores for height age (HA) (P = 0.006). At the first year of GFD, BMD, BMD z-score, height-for-age z-scores, and weight-for-age z-scores were significantly increased compared with the baseline, but not after 1 year of the GFD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In CD, the first year of GFD is important in weight gain, linear growth, and improvement of BMD. A considerable relation of low BMD in children with CD, with respect to z-scores for CA, may be a result of misinterpretation of low BMD due to short stature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ceyda
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tuna Kırsaçlıoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zarife
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kuloğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aydan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanca
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nuriye Özlem
authors.initials: NÖ
authors.lastname: Küçük
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zehra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aycan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gönül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Öcal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ensari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayhan Gazi
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Kalaycı
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurten
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Girgin
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D015519:Bone Density; D002446:Celiac Disease; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055050:Diet, Gluten-Free; D005260:Female; D005983:Glutens; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D005983:Glutens
keywords: Bone mineral density; children; coeliac disease; gluten-free diet