Vitamin D Status and Adiposity in Pediatric Malabsorption Syndromes

Abstract

Background: The combined effects of nutrient malabsorption and adiposity on vitamin D status are unclear in pediatric malabsorption syndromes.

Aim: To determine the relationship between adiposity and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in malabsorption disorders.

Methods: Prepubertal children of ages 3-12 with either lactose intolerance (LI) (n = 38, age 8.61 ± 3.08, male/female 19/19), or celiac disease (CD) (n = 24) were compared to healthy controls (n = 49, age 7.95 ± 2.64, male/female 28/21). A separate cohort of combined prepubertal and pubertal subjects with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (n = 59, age 16.4 ± 2.2, male/female 31/27) were also compared to healthy controls (n = 116, male/female 49/67, age 14.6 ± 4.4). Vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25(OH)D of <50 nmol/l, overweight as body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 85th but <95th percentile, and obesity as BMI ≥ 95th percentile.

Results: Among the controls, 25(OH)D was significantly higher in the normal-weight prepubertal controls vs. the overweight/obese controls (p = 0.001), and similarly so for the combined cohort of prepubertal and pubertal controls (p = 0.031). In contrast, there was no significant difference in 25(OH)D concentration between the normal-weight vs. overweight/obese patients with LI (p = 0.335), CD (p = 0.387), and IBD (p = 0.883).

Conclusion: There is no association between adiposity and serum 25(OH)D in pediatric malabsorption syndromes.