Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT707

Objective: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronic inflammatory condition associated with gastrointestinal and bone complications like vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis. Inflammation during childhood and adolescence, critical periods for bone growth, can impair bone development. This study examines the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and impaired bone health in pediatric IBD patients and evaluates the impact of vitamin D supplementation on bone metabolism.

Methods: This retrospective study included 287 pediatric patients under 19 years old who visited the pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition clinic. Among these, 230 (80.1%) were diagnosed with CD and 57 (19.9%) with UC. Data collected at diagnosis included height, weight, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) results, 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, and various biochemical markers.

Results: At diagnosis, vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was observed in 87.3% of CD patients and 71.9% of UC patients (P = 0.004). Average 25-OH vitamin D levels were 13.76±6.77 ng/mL in CD and 16.49±9.96 ng/mL in UC. Lumbar z-scores were -0.74±1.12 for CD and -0.25±1.03 for UC (P = 0.028). In 249 patients receiving vitamin D supplementation, serum vitamin D levels significantly increased from a baseline of 13.83±7.06 ng/mL to 27.32±10.25 ng/mL at one year (P = 0.003). Additionally, lumbar spine z-scores improved significantly from -1.03±1.05 to -0.54±1.06 during the same period (P< 0.001).

Conclusion: Pediatric IBD patients have a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and reduced bone density at diagnosis. Early initiation of vitamin D supplementation significantly improves bone health, highlighting its role in managing bone complications in pediatric IBD.