ABSTRACT

Gastrointestinal system diseases may have negative impact on bone metabolism. Bone metabolism and bone mineral density in children with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection were evaluated in this study.

A total of 100 children (mean age: 13.69±2.44 years, M/F:0.66) with chronic gastritis were divided into two groups according to the presence of H. pylori infection and tested for biochemical parameters such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone and vitamin D. Bone mineral density was measured at lumbar spine in all of the patients by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Forty-eight of 72 patients with H. pylori and 16 of 28 patients without H. pylori had low vitamin D levels (p=0.35). The other biochemical parameters were within normal limits in both groups. Bone mineral density was measured as -0.16±2.25 g/cm2 in H. pylori-positive patients and as -0.08±2.62 g/cm2 in H. pylori-negative patients (p=0.87). Only 2 patients with H. pylori and 1 without H. pylori had BMD z scores below -2.5 (p=1.00).

No significant difference was observed in biochemical parameters of bone metabolism and bone mineral density between H.pylori-positive and -negative children.

Keywords: children, bone mineral density, calcium, H.pylori, vitamin d