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Published on: January 29, 2018
Validation of longitudinal DXA changes in body composition from pre- to mid-adolescence using MRI as reference
Pascale Bridge1, Nicholas A Pocock, Tuan Nguyen
1Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Australia. pbri7078@uni.sydney.edu.au
Summary
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) effectively monitors changes in children's thigh lean soft tissue mass and fat mass. This validation supports DXA's use in pediatric body composition research and clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Biomedical imaging
- Body composition analysis
Background:
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is widely used for bone and body composition assessment.
- Its utility in tracking pediatric body composition changes, particularly thigh lean soft tissue mass (LSTM) and fat mass (FM), against magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) requires validation.
- Accurate monitoring is crucial for understanding growth and development during childhood and adolescence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate DXA's ability to monitor changes in thigh LSTM and FM in children from childhood to midadolescence.
- To compare DXA measurements with MRI, considered the reference standard for skeletal muscle mass (SM) and FM.
- To assess the reliability of DXA for longitudinal studies of pediatric body composition.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 22 healthy children (8-11 years old) was assessed at baseline and followed for 26-48 months through pubertal development (Tanner stages 2-4).
- Thigh LSTM, FM (by DXA), and SM, FM (by MRI) were measured simultaneously in the mid-femur region.
- Statistical analyses included concordance coefficients and comparison of changes between DXA and MRI measurements.
Main Results:
- At baseline, DXA overestimated LSTM but showed strong agreement for FM compared to MRI.
- At follow-up, changes in LSTM and FM measured by DXA were not significantly different from changes measured by MRI.
- High coefficients of concordance (0.88) for both LSTM and FM changes between DXA and MRI were observed over time.
Conclusions:
- DXA is validated for monitoring longitudinal changes in thigh lean soft tissue mass and fat mass in children.
- DXA demonstrates significant potential for clinical and research applications in pediatric body composition assessment.
- These findings support the use of DXA as a reliable tool for tracking body composition development during childhood and adolescence.
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