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Published on: January 29, 2018
Relationship between vitamin D status and bone mineralization, mass, and metabolism in children with osteogenesis
Thomas Edouard1, Francis H Glorieux, Frank Rauch
1Shriners Hospital for Children, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Insights
Low vitamin D levels did not impact bone health in children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). This study found no association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and bone mineralization or mass in pediatric OI patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Bone Metabolism
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Low vitamin D levels are common but their impact on bone fragility disorders like osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) remains understudied.
- Understanding vitamin D's role is crucial for managing pediatric bone diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between vitamin D status and skeletal parameters in children diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI).
- To assess vitamin D's association with bone mineralization, mass, and metabolic markers in pediatric OI patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 71 pediatric patients (ages 1.4-17.5) with OI types I, III, or IV.
- Evaluation of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels, bone biopsy histomorphometry, and bone mineral density.
- Correlation analysis between vitamin D status and skeletal parameters, excluding patients previously treated with bisphosphonates.
Main Results:
- Over half of the pediatric OI patients (52%) had serum 25(OH)D levels below 50 nmol/L.
- No patients exhibited radiologic rickets or histomorphometric evidence of osteomalacia.
- Serum 25(OH)D levels showed negative correlations with age and parathyroid hormone but no significant association with bone mineralization, metabolism, or mass parameters.
Conclusions:
- Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels within the observed range (13-103 nmol/L) were not significantly associated with bone mineralization, metabolism, or mass in pediatric OI patients.
- The findings suggest that vitamin D status may not be a primary determinant of bone health parameters in this specific pediatric OI cohort.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interplay of factors influencing bone health in children with OI.
Abstract:
The effect of low vitamin D levels in children with bone fragility disorders has not been examined in detail. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between vitamin D status and parameters of skeletal mineralization, mass, and metabolism in a group of pediatric osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) patients. This retrospective study consisted of 71 patients with a diagnosis of OI type I, III, or IV (ages 1.4 to 17.5 years; 36 girls) who had not received bisphosphonate treatment before iliac bone biopsy. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels ranged from 13 to 103 nmol/L and were less than 50 nmol/L in 37 patients (52%). None of the OI patients had radiologic signs of rickets or fulfilled the histomorphometric criteria for the diagnosis of osteomalacia (ie, elevated results for both osteoid thickness and mineralization lag time). Serum 25(OH)D levels were negatively correlated with age and serum parathyroid hormone levels but were not correlated with any parameter of bone mineralization (ie, osteoid thickness, mineralization lag time, or bone-formation rate per bone surface) or bone mass (ie, lumbar spine areal bone mineral density, iliac bone volume per tissue volume, or iliac cortical width). We found no evidence that serum 25(OH)D levels in the range from 13 to 103 nmol/L were associated with measures of bone mineralization, metabolism, or mass in children with OI.
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