Relationship between Vitamin D Levels and Bone Tissue in Adolescents with and without Down Syndrome

AbstractVitamin D (vitD) deficiency is a worldwide problem. Therefore, the main aims of this study were to compare 25-hydroxivitamin D levels (25(OH)D) in adolescents with and without Down syndrome (DS) and to study the relationship between 25(OH)D and bone. Eleven adolescents with DS (6 females) aged 15.5  ± 2.8 years and sixteen healthy controls (non-DS) (6 females) aged 14.3 ± 2.2 years were evaluated by bone imaging techniques. Blood samples were collected to determine vitD levels. Independent t-tests and analyses of covariance controlling for age, height, sex, sexual maturation, calcium i ntake and body mass index were performed to evaluate differences in 25(OH)D levels between groups. Pearson’s correlation test and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between 25(OH)D and bone mass. Adolescents with DS had lower 25(OH)D (22.8 ± 8.0 vs. 36 .0 ± 6.5 ng/ml) than non-DS (d = 1.81;p <  0.05). Only 18% of participants with DS reached the recommended level of 30 ng/ml of 25(OH)D. No significant group interactions were found for any bone variable (allp >  0.05) but linear regression analyses suggested that 25(OH)D influenced positively femoral neck bone mineral density (β = 0.477,p = 0.038) and content at the 4% of the length of the tibia (β = 0.453,p = 0.008) in the non-DS and cortical volumetric bone mineral density at the 38% (β = 0.841,p = 0.034) in the DS. Adolescents with DS had lower lev...
Source: Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities - Category: Disability Source Type: research