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Status of vitamin D in children with sickle cell disease living in Madrid, Spain

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Abstract

Patients with sickle cell disease have vitamin D deficiency and poor bone health which makes them prone to have an increased risk of fractures and osteoporosis in adulthood. We performed a prospective, cross-sectional study in children diagnosed with sickle cell disease living in Madrid, Spain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the status of vitamin D of these children. Patients 0–16 years old were enrolled between 2008 and 2011. We studied demographics, calcium metabolism, and bone health, especially by measuring levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), during different seasons of the year, and bone densitometry (beyond 4 years of age). Seventy-eight children were included in the study. Mean age was 4.8 ± 4.3 years, and mean serum 25(OH)D level was 21.50 ± 13.14 ng/ml, with no differences in 25(OH)D levels within different seasons. Fifty-six percent of children had levels of 25(OH) vitamin D of <20 ng/ml, whereas 79 and 18 % of them had levels of <30 and <11 ng/ml, respectively. Secondary hyperparathyroidism was observed in 25 % of children. Densitometry was performed in 33 children, and an abnormal z-score was seen in 15.2 % of them with no correlation with levels of 25(OH)D. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in children with sickle cell disease, who are residing in Madrid, Spain, and it is detected at a young age. We propose that early intervention may increase the possibility of an adequate bone density later in life.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Cynthia McCoig and Dr. Jesús Saavedra-Lozano for reviewing the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics Medicine, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Maiquez 9, 28007, Madrid, Spain

    Carmen Garrido, Elena Cela, Cristina Beléndez, Cristina Mata & Jorge Huerta

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  1. Carmen Garrido
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  2. Elena Cela
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  3. Cristina Beléndez
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  4. Cristina Mata
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  5. Jorge Huerta
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Correspondence to Carmen Garrido.

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Garrido, C., Cela, E., Beléndez, C. et al. Status of vitamin D in children with sickle cell disease living in Madrid, Spain. Eur J Pediatr 171, 1793–1798 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-012-1817-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-012-1817-2

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