ESPE Abstracts

Study of response to vitamin D replacemet in North Korean refugee children and Korean children

Myung Hee Chung, MD., Ph.D

Daegu Medical Center, Daegu Metropolitan city, Korea

Jung Hup Song, MD., Ph.D

Kyungpook National university hosptal,Occupational Medicine, Public Health Dept.,Daegu, Korea

Purpose: It is well known that obesity and nutritional status are related to vitamin D deficiency (VDD).

We investigated the response to vitamin D replacement in normal-weight and overweight children of Korean and North Korean refugee children.

Methods: This study was performed from 2011.1 to 2018.12. It was a prospective study including 60 Korean children and 28 North Korean refugee children with VDD. VDD was defined as a serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol(25(OH)D)concentration <20ng/mL.. Overweight was defined as a body mass index(BMI)>the 85th percentile(n=38), and normal weight as a BMI between 5th and 84th percentiles(n=50).All participants received vitamin D3 supplementation 2,000 IU/day for 8 weeks. The serum levels of 25hydroxycholecalciferol(25((OH)D, PTH, serum calcium, creatinine and urine calcium were measured before and after treatment.

Results: The mean age was 11.0+-1.6 years in normal –weight children and 10.9+-1.9 years in overweight children(P=0.83). After 8 weeks of treatment, 51.8% of normal-weight children and 49.6 % of overweight children of North Korean refugee children achieved Vitamin D sufficiency(P=0.24). 71.8% of normal-weight children and 69.6 % of overweight children of korean children achieved Vitamin D sufficiency(P=0.20). The mean serum 25(OH)D levels after vitamin D replacement were 31.2+9.6 ng/mL and 30.3 +-5.6 ng/mL in normal –weight and overweight children of North Korean refugees, respectively(P=0.20). The mean serum 25(OH)D levels after vitamin D replacement were 38.2+8.6 ng/mL and 33.3 +-7.6 ng/mL in normal –weight and overweight of Korean children, respectively(P=0.20). The mean calcium/creatinine ratios after treatment were 0.09+-0.07 and 0.08+-0.06 in normal-weight and overweight groups in North Korean refugees children, and 0.08+-0.09, 0.09+- 0.07 in normal-weight and overweight groups in North Korean refugees children, respectively. No hypercalciuria was found in both group.

In multiple regression analysis, the response to vitamin D replacement was influenced by BMI(b=2.0, P=0.04, and sex(b=3.0, P=0.02) and national environmental influence(b=1.0, P=0.04).

Conclusion: Eight weeks of vitamin D replacement(2000 IU/day) is sufficient to overcome vitamin D deficiency in normal-weight and overweight children in both North Korean refugees and Korean children without any complications.