High Fetuin-A Levels in Children with Celiac Disease

Abstract

Objective: Fetuin-A is a multifunctional non-collagen protein that plays a role in bone mineralization. Celiac disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the small intestine due to exposure to gluten. In this research, it was aimed to investigate levels of Fetuin-A and its relationship with bone mineral density in children with celiac disease. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 59 children with celiac and 29 healthy children. The celiac disease group was composed of three groups, newly diagnosed, gluten-free diet compliant and, non-gluten-free diet compliant patients. Serum Fetuin-A concentrations were measured by an enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay kit. Measurement of bone mineral density was performed a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results: Serum Fetuin-A levels were 136.85 +/- 38.09 mu g/L and 112.95 +/- 44.39 mu g/L in the celiac disease and healthy control groups, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between groups in levels of serum Fetuin-A (P<.05). A significant positive correlation was observed between serum Fetuin-A and bone mineral density Z-score in the celiac patients. Conclusion: Increased Fetuin-A levels and positive correlation between Fetuin-A and bone mineral density in children with celiac disease suggest that Fetuin-A may be a biomarker for celiac disease.