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Published on: September 22, 2019
Prevalence and correlates of vitamin K deficiency in children with inflammatory bowel disease
Jan K Nowak1, Urszula Grzybowska-Chlebowczyk2, Piotr Landowski3
1Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases, Poznan, Poland.
Insights
Vitamin K deficiency is common in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), affecting over half of those with Crohn's disease (CD) and nearly half with ulcerative colitis (UC). Low vitamin K levels correlate with increased disease activity in pediatric CD.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Nutritional Science
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research
Background:
- Vitamin K deficiency is linked to adult inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- The prevalence and impact of vitamin K deficiency in pediatric IBD are not well understood.
- Assessing vitamin K status is crucial for comprehensive pediatric IBD management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of vitamin K deficiency in children with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
- To investigate the correlation between vitamin K status and disease activity in pediatric IBD.
- To identify potential factors influencing vitamin K levels in pediatric IBD patients.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 63 children with CD and 48 with UC.
- Vitamin K status assessed using protein induced by vitamin K absence-II (PIVKA-II) via ELISA.
- Correlation analysis between PIVKA-II levels and clinical parameters of IBD activity.
Main Results:
- Vitamin K deficiency was prevalent in 54.0% of pediatric CD patients and 43.7% of pediatric UC patients.
- Higher CD activity and increased mass Z-scores were associated with a greater likelihood of vitamin K deficiency.
- Treatment with infliximab was associated with a lower prevalence of vitamin K deficiency in CD patients.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin K deficiency is a significant issue in pediatric IBD, particularly in Crohn's disease.
- Vitamin K status may be linked to disease severity and treatment response in pediatric IBD.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the relationship between vitamin K deficiency and the clinical course of pediatric IBD.
Abstract:
Although vitamin K deficiency has been implicated in adult inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), its prevalence in pediatric IBD remains unknown. We carried out a cross-sectional study in 63 children with Crohn's disease (CD) and 48 with ulcerative colitis (UC) to assess the prevalence of vitamin K deficiency and to search for potential correlation between vitamin K status and pediatric IBD activity. Vitamin K status was assessed using protein induced by vitamin K absence-II (PIVKA-II; ELISA). Prevalence of vitamin K deficiency was 54.0% in CD and 43.7% in UC. Vitamin K deficiency was more common in patients with higher CD activity, in CD patients with higher mass Z-scores, and less common among children with CD treated with infliximab. Relation of vitamin K deficiency to pediatric IBD clinical course and treatment demand further research.
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