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Bone mineral density in children with celiac disease. Effect of a Gluten-free diet

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 358–363 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To assess the degree of osteopenia in children with celiac disease (CD) at the time of diagnosis and the effect of a gluten-free diet (GFD).

Design:

Longitudinal and prospective study.

Subjets:

In total, 24 children (18 girls, six boys) diagnosed with CD by means of an intestinal biopsy were included in the study. Mean±s.d. age was 4.9±4.3 years. In all, 16 patients were under (2.20±0.82 year) and eight were over the age of 4 years (10.30±2.90 year). The time between the first symptoms and diagnosis was 17.30±24.70 months (range: 2–109 months). Spine bone mineral content (BMC), area and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured by DXA at baseline and 1.17±0.93 years after GFD.

Results:

Before treatment, mean±s.d. BMD was 0.46±0.13 g/cm2, the BMD Z-score was −1.36±1.20, and was below −1 s.d. in 14 patients (58%). BMC, area and BMD increased significantly on GFD. BMD increased from 0.46±0.13 to 0.55±0.13 g/cm2 (P<0.001). BMD Z-score improved from −1.36±1.20 to −0.23±1.20 after GFD. However, BMD increased more than 1 s.d. in 15 of the 16 children under the age of 4 years, a similar increase was only observed in four of the eight children aged more than 4 years, some of whom did not follow GFD strictly. Height and weight increased significantly with GFD (P<0.001) and the increase correlated positively with the increase in BMD.

Conclusions:

Axial BMD below −1 s.d. was found in 58% of children with celiac disease. Axial bone mass reverted to normal values in most children under the age of 4, who had low bone mass, all of whom followed GFD strictly.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Fundación Argentina de Osteología for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Metabolismo Cálcico y Oseo, Endocrinología, Hospital de Pediatría J.P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    C Tau & X Valenzuela

  2. Centro de Osteopatías Médicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    C Mautalen

  3. Gastroenterología, Hospital de Pediatría J.P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    S De Rosa & A Roca

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  1. C Tau
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  2. C Mautalen
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  3. S De Rosa
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  4. A Roca
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Correspondence to C Tau.

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Tau, C., Mautalen, C., De Rosa, S. et al. Bone mineral density in children with celiac disease. Effect of a Gluten-free diet. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 358–363 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602323

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