Vitamin A levels are comparable between children with newly diagnosed coeliac disease and non‐coeliac controls

• Published in: Acta Paediatrica 2019-11, Vol.108 (11), p.2095-2099
• Main Authors: Weintraub, Yael, Ben‐Tov, Amir, Dotan, Gad, Yerushalmy‐Feler, Anat, Weiner, Dror, Levy, Dina, Lubetzky, Ronit, Cohen, Shlomi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Calciferol; Celiac disease; Children; Coeliac disease; Developed countries; Developed country; Females; Ferritin; Folic acid; Gastrointestinal complaints; Gastroscopy; Health risk assessment; Hemoglobin; Immunoglobulin A; Iron; Nutrient deficiency; Retinene; Retinol; Transglutaminase 2; Vitamin A; Vitamin A deficiency; Vitamin D; Vitamins
• ISSN: 0803-5253; 1651-2227
• DOI: 10.1111/apa.14873

Aim Nutritional deficiencies associated with coeliac disease include iron, folic acid and fat‐soluble vitamins. This study compared the prevalence and degree of vitamin A deficiency among newly diagnosed coeliac disease patients to controls in a developed country. Methods This prospective cohort study included all children evaluated by gastroscopy at Dana‐Dwek Children's Hospital, Israel, between September 2014 and February 2017. Vitamin A, haemoglobin, C‐reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, tissue transglutaminase, immunoglobulin A and vitamin D levels were measured. Results Of the 113 children (69% females), 47 were diagnosed with coeliac disease whereas the others were the controls (mean age of 8.2 ± 3.8 years and 12.4 ± 3.5 years, respectively). There was no group difference in vitamin A, vitamin D or CRP levels. Among coeliac children, two had true vitamin A deficiency compared with three controls, while 18 coeliac children had subclinical vitamin A deficiency compared with 25 controls (p > 0.05). Conclusion Paediatric coeliac disease was not associated with increased prevalence of vitamin A deficiency. Children evaluated for gastrointestinal complaints in a developed country were found to have an unexpectedly high prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency. Further prevalence and causality assessments of vitamin A deficiency in developed countries are needed.