Vitamin D Status in Children With Short Stature: Accurate Determination of Serum Vitamin D Components Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Dynamic influence of maternal education on height among Chinese children aged 0-18 years

Background

Maternal education is one of key factors affecting nurturing environment which significantly impacts children's height levels throughout their developmental stages. However, the influence of maternal education on children's height is less studied. This study aims to investigate the dynamic influence of maternal education on children's height among Chinese children aged 0-18 years.

Methods

Children undergoing health examinations from January 2021 to September 2023 were included in this study. Clinical information including height, weight, maternal pregnancy history, blood specimens for bone metabolism-related indicators and maternal education level was collected. Children's height was categorized into 14 groups based on age and gender percentiles, following WHO 2006 growth standards. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regression, chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were applied for data analysis.

Results

A total of 6269 samples were collected, including 3654 males and 2615 females, with an average age of 8.38 (3.97) for males and 7.89 (3.55) for females. Significant correlations between maternal education level, birth weight, birth order, weight percentile, vitamin D, serum phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase levels, and children's height were identified. Birth weight's influence on height varied across age groups. Compared with normal birth weight children, low birth weight children exhibited catch-up growth within the first 6 years and a subsequent gradual widening of the height gap from 6 to 18 years old. Remarkably, the impact of maternal education on height became more pronounced among children above 3-6 years old, which can mitigate the effect of low birth weight on height.

Conclusion

We found that weight percentile, birth weight, birth order, bone marker levels, and maternal education level have significant effect on height. Maternal education attenuates the impact of low birth weight on height. The findings indicated that maternal education plays a consistent and critical role in promoting robust and healthy growth.

The effect of vitamin D status on the occurrence of Kawasaki Disease: a meta-analysis

AIM

The relationship between vitamin D status and Kawasaki Disease (KD), as well as coronary artery lesion (CAL), has yet to be established.

METHODS

A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between vitamin D status and KD, as well as the impact of vitamin D status on the progression of KD into CAL.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis revealed a consistent and significant association between serum 25(OH)D level and the occurrence KD (studies N = 22; z = -3.51, P < 0.001). Patients with KD had markedly lower levels of vitamin D than healthy controls (SMD: -1.30 ng/mL, 95%CI: -2.05 to -0.55 ng/mL).

CONCLUSION

The study provided evidence supporting a significant association between lower serum vitamin D levels and the occurrence of KD, particularly within the Chinese population. However, the findings did not suggest a direct impact of vitamin D on the development of CAL in KD patients.

Features of d-vitamin status in young children in the Kazakh population

OBJECTIVE

Aim: The purpose of the article is to form the parameters of vitamin D status in young children in the ethnic group of Kazakh nationality with the factor of highlighting the necessary recommendations for the prevention of hypovitaminosis D.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and Methods: Methods for the study of the highlighted problem are the diagnosis of young children in the parameter of clinical and anamnestic research, which includes the collection of anamnestic data of children of Kazakh nationality within the framework of the identified data based on a questionnaire of parents, an evaluation component in the child's health factor at the level of his initial state, and laboratory analysis to determine 25(OH)D to identify the content of vitamin D using the method of electrochemiluminescent immunoassay.

RESULTS

Results: Analysis of vitamin D levels revealed significant differences among age groups. In the 0-28-day group, average vitamin D was 13.35 ng/ml, with 92.8% deficient. In the 1-6-month group, it was 21.47 ng/ml, with 84% deficient. In the over 6-month group, it was 33.58 ng/ml, with 40% sufficient. Formula-fed children had the lowest levels (average 15.21 ng/ml), while breastfed children had insufficiency (average 23.91 ng/ml). Children with vitamin D supplementation averaged 25.9 ng/ml, compared to 19.01 ng/ml without supplementation.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: The results point to a widespread deficiency of vitamin D and offer practical recommendations for its prevention, such as creating a unified system of timely diagnosis, implementing preventive measures in pregnant women and young children, including a balanced diet enriched with vitamin D, staying outdoors in the bright hours of the day.

The mediation effect of vitamin A and vitamin D supplement in the association between serum vitamin K levels and musculoskeletal disorders in preschool children

Introduction

Vitamin K deficiency may elevate the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), whereas it lacks validation for pediatric populations and has uncertain dose recommendations. In this context, we hypothesized that serum vitamin K levels are associated with MSD in preschool children, and the widely used vitamin A and vitamin D supplements may mediate these associations based on potential mechanisms, which expects to provide guidance for future practice.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Sichuan province in southwestern China, from January 2021 to May 2022. Serum levels of vitamin K1/K2 and 25(OH)D were determined using the high-performance liquid chromatography method, and the diagnosis of MSD was executed by clinicians. Overall and stratified logistic regression analysis based on categorized 25(OH)D levels were conducted to assess association between serum vitamin K levels and MSD prevalence after adjusting for confounders. Mediation analysis was further performed and vitamin A and D supplementation was regressed as the mediator.

Results

A total of 6,368 children aged 0-6 years old were enrolled. MSD was identified in 1179 (18.51%) of the children, while 5,189 (81.49%) of them did not present such disorder. After adjusting confounders, a significant difference was found in serum vitamin K1 level between children in MSD and Non-MSD group (OR = 0.802, 95%CI 0.745-0.864). No significant difference was found in serum vitamin K2 level between the two groups (OR = 0.975, 95%CI 0.753-1.261). The association between vitamin K1 level and MSD prevalence was partly (36.8%) mediated by vitamin A and D supplementation.

Conclusions

A low serum vitamin K1 level is connected with an increased risk of MSD among children, highlighting that vitamin A and D supplementation is a helpful intervention to prevent MSD in children with vitamin K deficiency.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in fat-soluble vitamin deficiency

Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are essential for maintaining normal body function and metabolism. Fat-soluble vitamin deficiency may lead to bone diseases, anemia, bleeding, xerophthalmia, etc. Early detection and timely interventions are significant for preventing vitamin deficiency-related diseases. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is developing into a potent instrument for the precise detection of fat-soluble vitamins due to its high sensitivity, high specificity, and high resolution.

Correlation Study between Levels of Gastrin, Serum IGF-1, and GHBP and Growth and Development in Children with Short Stature Based on Big Data Analysis

Objective

To analyze the correlation between the levels of gastrin, serum IGF-1, and GHBP and growth and development in children with short stature (SS) using the big data.

Methods

By means of retrospective analysis, the clinical data of 42 children with SS admitted to our hospital from October 2020 to October 2021 were selected as the study group, while 30 children with the healthy physical examination results in the corresponding period were selected as the control group to measure the growth and development indices and the levels of gastrin, serum IGF-1, and GHBP. The Pearson correlation analysis was used for the relationship between the levels of gastrin, serum IGF-1, and GHBP and growth and development indices in children with SS, and the targeted intervention measures were formulated by the analysis of experimental data.

Results

Compared with the study group, the height, weight, and bone mineral density (BMD) Z-scores of children in the control group were obviously higher (P < 0.001). The levels of gastrin, serum IGF-1, and GHBP in the study group were markedly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The Pearson correlation analysis showed that the gastrin, serum IGF-1, and GHBP of children were positively correlated with growth and development indices (P < 0.001). The levels of gastrin, serum IGF-1, and GHBP in children were distinctly improved after treatment (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The gastrin, serum IGF-1, and GHBP are closely related to the SS, and the effective clinical intervention can better improve the above indicators of children to promote their growth and development.

Impaired Height Growth Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency in Young Children from the Japan Environment and Children's Study

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and bone homeostasis. Although short-stature children were reported to have low vitamin D concentrations, there is no clear evidence of a link between vitamin D and height growth in young children not limited to those with short stature. We collected height and weight data at 2 and 4 years of age, serum vitamin D concentrations at 4 years, and questionnaire results on sun exposure from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS). We then analyzed the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and height growth. We also analyzed the correlation between serum vitamin D concentration and sun exposure. Overall, 3624 participants from JECS were analyzed. We identified cases of subclinical vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency. We further found that definitive vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/mL) impaired height growth by 0.6 cm per year even in young children not limited to those with short stature. Furthermore, we clarified that children with vitamin D deficiency had reduced outdoor activity, especially during winter. In children with either short or normal stature, definitive vitamin D deficiency was associated with height growth decline, and reduction in outdoor activity, especially during winter, was a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency.

C3-Epimer of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 as a Superior Marker for Predicting the Severity of Chronic Kidney Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Objective. 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25[OH]D3) is involved in oxidative stress regulation by upregulating the expression of antioxidant genes except for mineral homeostasis physiological role. C3-epimer of 25(OH)D3 (C3-epi-25[OH]D3) is a form of vitamin D metabolite with low bioaffinity in vivo, but little is known about the relationship between C3-epi-25(OH)D3 and diseases. This study was aimed at investigating the relationship between C3-epi-25(OH)D3 and the severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Method. A total of 318 RA inpatients were enrolled and divided into mild ( $n=247$ ), moderate ( $n=46$ ), and severe ( $n=25$ ) CKD groups according to the CKD prognosis criterion of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes guidelines. Serum levels of 25(OH)D2, 25(OH)D3, C3-epi-25(OH)D3, and free 25(OH)D (F25[OH]D) were measured, and the value of 25(OH)D was calculated. The relationship and changing trend of the indexes based on CKD severity were analyzed. Results. The serum levels of 25(OH)D, 25(OH)D3, and F25(OH)D showed a decreasing trend ( $z=-2.781–-3.996$ , $P<0.01$ ) in RA patients with CKD progression from mild to severe, while C3-epi-25(OH)D3 showed an increasing trend ( $z=6.741$ , $P<0.001$ ) and 25(OH)D2 showed no significant difference among the groups ( $z=0.976$ , $P=0.329$ ). Only levels of C3-epi-25(OH)D3 presented significant differences between adjacent CKD severity groups in RA patients (mild to moderate: $z=3.963$ , $Padj<0.001$ ; moderate to severe: $z=3.269$ , $Padj=0.002$ ). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that 25(OH)D3 and C3-epi-25(OH)D3 were significant predictors for CKD progression in RA patients, and C3-epi-25(OH)D3 had a better predictive advantage (moderate vs. mild: $\text{OR}=4.79$ , $P<0.001$ ; severe vs. mild: $\text{OR}=17.85$ , $P<0.001$ ). Conclusions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal that C3-epi-25(OH)D3 is a dominant predictor of CKD severity in RA patients. Further studies are needed to explore the relationship between C3-epi-25(OH)D3 and other diseases.