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Vitamin D deficiency in pediatric patients using antiepileptic drugs: systematic review with meta-analysis Please cite this article as: Junges C, Machado TD, Nunes Filho PR, Riesgo R, Mello ED. Vitamin D deficiency in pediatric patients using antiepileptic drugs: systematic review with meta-analysis. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2020;96:559-68. , ☆☆ ☆☆ Study conducted at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Abstract

Objectives:

To measure the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (through the 25-hydroxyvitamin D metabolite) in pediatric patients using antiepileptic drugs.

Source of data:

Meta-analysis of studies identified through search in the PubMed, Embase, LILACS, and Cochrane Library databases, on February 19, 2019.

Summary of data:

A total of 748 articles were identified, 29 of which were relevant to the objectives of this study. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency found was 0.32 (95% CI = 0.25-0.41; I 2 = 92%, p < 0.01). In the subgroup analyses, the most significant results were observed in the group of patients using cytochrome P450-inducing antiepileptic drugs, with a prevalence of 0.33 (95% CI = 0.21-0.47; I 2 = 86%, p < 0.01) and, considering the study design, in the subgroup of cohort studies, with a prevalence of 0.52 (95% CI = 0.40-0.64; I 2 = 76%, p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

Taking into account the deleterious effects of vitamin D deficiency on the bone health of individuals using antiepileptic drugs, it is suggested to include in their care 25-hydroxyvitamin D monitoring, cholecalciferol supplementation, and treatment of the deficiency, when present.

KEYWORDS
Antiepileptic; Vitamin D; Meta-analysis; Child; Adolescent

Resumo

Objetivos:

Mensurar a prevalência de deficiência de vitamina D (através do metabólito 25-hidroxivitamina D) em pacientes pediátricos em uso de fármacos antiepilépticos.

Fonte dos dados:

Metanálise de estudos identificados por meio de pesquisa nas bases de dados Pubmed, Embase, LILACS e Cochrane em 19 de fevereiro de 2019.

Síntese dos dados:

Foram identificados 748 artigos, dos quais 29 mostraram-se relevantes aos objetivos deste estudo. A prevalência de deficiência de vitamina D encontrada foi de 0,32 (IC 95% = 0,25-0,41) (I2 = 92%, p < 0,01). Nas análises por subgrupos, os resultados mais expressivos foram observados no grupo de pacientes em uso de fármacos antiepilépticos indutores do citocromo P450, que apresentou prevalência de 0,33 (IC 95% = 0,21-0,47) (I2 = 86%, p < 0,01). Considerou-se o delineamento dos estudos, no subgrupo de estudos de coorte, com prevalência de 0,52 (IC 95% = 0,40-0,64) (I2 = 76%, p < 0,01).

Conclusões:

Levando-se em consideração os efeitos deletérios da deficiência de vitamina D na saúde óssea dos sujeitos em uso de fármacos antiepilépticos, sugere-se incluir em seu atendimento, o monitoramento de 25-hidroxivitamina D, suplementação com colecalciferol e tratamento de deficiência quando existente.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE
Antiepiléptico; Vitamina D; Metanálise; Criança; Adolescente

Introduction

The prevalence of epilepsy in the pediatric age group in developing countries can reach up to ten cases per 1000 children. 11 Farghaly WM, Abd Elhamed MA, Hassan EM, Soliman WT, Yhia MA, Hamdy NA. Prevalence of childhood and adolescence epilepsy in Upper Egypt (desert areas). Egypt J Neurol Psychiatry Neurosurg. 2018;54:34. Treatment with antiepileptic drugs is necessary for a long period in most patients 22 Nettekoven S, Ströhle A, Trunz B, Wolters M, Hoffmann S, Horn R, et al. Effects of antiepileptic drug therapy on vitamin D status and biochemical markers of bone turnover in children with epilepsy. Eur J Pediatr. 2008;167:1369-77. and is associated with several adverse effects, such as gingival hyperplasia, gastrointestinal disorders, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, bone marrow toxicity, teratogenicity, hepatotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity, as well as endocrine, neurological, psychiatric, and dermatological disorders. 33 Ranganathan LN, Ramaratnam S. Vitamins for epilepsy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2005;2:CD004304.

Regarding vitamin D deficiency, a population-based study estimates a prevalence of 15% in the general pediatric population, with data referring to the United States. 44 Mansbach JM, Ginde AA, Camargo CA. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels among US children aged 1 to 11 years: do children need more vitamin D?. Pediatrics. 2009;124:1404-10. Considering the subjects using antiepileptic drugs, there is evidence that supports a prevalence above 70% in the pediatric population. 55 He X, Jiang P, Zhu W, Xue Y, Li H, Dang R, et al. Effect of antiepileptic therapy on serum 25(OH)D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3 levels in epileptic children. Ann Nutr Metab. 2016;68:119-27. Subclinical disease is characterized by biochemical abnormalities (reduced serum levels of calcium and 25-hydrovitamin D and high parathyroid hormone levels), reduction in bone mineral density and changes in bone biopsy findings. 66 Weinstein RS, Bryce GF, Sappington LJ, King DW, Gallagher BB. Decreased serum ionized calcium and normal vitamin D metabolite levels with anticonvulsant drug treatment. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1984;58:1003-9., 77 Valmadrid C, Voorhees C, Litt B, Schneyer CR. Practice patterns of neurologists regarding bone and mineral effects of antiepileptic drug therapy. Arch Neurol. 2001;58:1369. In a study conducted with members of the board of directors of the American Academy of Neurology, it was found that around 40% of pediatric neurologists routinely screen for bone mineral disease, 40% prescribe calcium and vitamin D to patients who already have the disease, and only 9% prophylactically prescribe calcium and vitamin D to subjects using antiepileptic drugs. 77 Valmadrid C, Voorhees C, Litt B, Schneyer CR. Practice patterns of neurologists regarding bone and mineral effects of antiepileptic drug therapy. Arch Neurol. 2001;58:1369.

The association between antiepileptic drug use and bone mineral disease was first reported in 1960. 88 Petty SJ, Wilding H, Wark JD. Osteoporosis associated with epilepsy and the use of anti-epileptics - a review. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2016;14:54-65. Since then, several studies have been performed aiming to understand the effect of antiepileptic drugs on bone metabolism, the factors that corroborate bone disease in individuals with epilepsy, and the real need for treatment and prevention in these patients. 99 Turan M, Cayir A, Ozden O, Tan H. An examination of the mutual effects of valproic acid, carbamazepine, and phenobarbital on 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and thyroid function tests. Neuropediatrics. 2013;45:16-21.

10 Razazizan N, Mirmoeini M, Daeichin S, Ghadiri K. Comparison of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, calcium and alkaline phosphatase levels in epileptic and non-epileptic children. Acta Neurol Taiwanica. 2013;22:112-6.

11 Ramelli V, Ramelli G, Lava S, Siegenthaler G, Cantù M, Bianchetti M, et al. Vitamin D status among children and adolescents on anticonvulsant drugs in Southern Switzerland. Swiss Med Wkly. 2014;144:w13996.
- 1212 Fong CY, Kong AN, Poh BK, Mohamed AR, Khoo TB, Ng RL, et al. Vitamin D deficiency and its risk factors in Malaysian children with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2016;57:1271-9.

Taking into account the classification of antiepileptic drugs as inducers and non-inducers of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzyme system, some studies support the idea that the use of inducers is related to higher levels of vitamin D deficiency, 1212 Fong CY, Kong AN, Poh BK, Mohamed AR, Khoo TB, Ng RL, et al. Vitamin D deficiency and its risk factors in Malaysian children with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2016;57:1271-9., 1313 Yaghini O, Tonekaboni SH, Amir Shahkarami SM, Ahmad Abadi F, Shariat F, Abdollah Gorji F. Bone mineral density in ambulatory children with epilepsy. Indian J Pediatr. 2015;82:225-9. since they can accelerate the hepatic metabolism of vitamin D, with a consequent reduction in its serum level. 55 He X, Jiang P, Zhu W, Xue Y, Li H, Dang R, et al. Effect of antiepileptic therapy on serum 25(OH)D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3 levels in epileptic children. Ann Nutr Metab. 2016;68:119-27.

The current meta-analysis aims to measure the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (measured through 25-hydroxyvitamin D) in pediatric patients using antiepileptic drugs, as well as to verify the prevalence of deficiency in subgroups, considering the study design, antiepileptic drugs used, and patients exclusively with epilepsy (without motor impairment).

Methods

The literature search, study selection based on title and abstract, and data extraction were carried out independently by two trained reviewers. A senior author was consulted in cases of disagreement. In case of duplicate articles, only one was considered. The report of this meta-analysis followed the recommendations proposed for the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines 1414 Stroup DF. Meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology: a proposal for reporting. JAMA. 2000;283:2008. and is registered on the PROSPERO Platform (PROSPERO, University of York, England) under numberCRD42020143322.

Search strategy

The studies were identified through research in the PubMed, Embase, LILACS, and Cochrane Library databases, performed on February 19, 2019. For the search, the term "antiepileptic drug" was used in combination with "vitamin D," through structured Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) keywords for PubMed, Emtree for Embase, and Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) for LILACS. The terms used in the search and the number of articles found per database are depicted in Table S1 of the Supplementary Material Appendix A Supplementary data Supplementary material related to this article can be found, in the online version, at doi:10.1016/j.jped.2020.01.004. .

Eligibility criteria

The inclusion criteria were as follows: studies published in Portuguese, English, or Spanish, published on any date, and evaluating patients aged 0 to 18 years who were using antiepileptic drugs. Data related to patients who were receiving vitamin D supplementation or medications that act on the metabolism of this vitamin (e.g., glucocorticoids), those with a diagnosis of comorbidities that alter vitamin D metabolism (e.g., kidney, liver, gastrointestinal or endocrine disease), review articles, and studies with incomplete or data not published in full were excluded.

Data collection

After assessing the title, abstract, and full text of the studies according to the eligibility criteria, the data of interest were collected using a standard form. The following information was collected: authors, study place, design, year of publication, mean age, 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels characterized as deficiency, prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (measured using 25-hydroxyvitamin D), number of patients exclusively with epilepsy (without motor disability), antiepileptic drugs used, and their minimum time of use. The antiepileptic drugs were categorized according to their effect on the CYP450 system as inducers (carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, topiramate, oxcarbazepine, and primidone), non-inducers (valproic acid and clobazam), or not metabolized by this system (levetiracetam, gabapentin, ethosuximide, vigabatrin, zonisamide). 1515 McCabe PH. New anti-epileptic drugs for the 21st century. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2000;1:633-74., 1616 Fong CY, Kong AN, Noordin M, Poh BK, Ong LC, Ng CC. Determinants of low bone mineral density in children with epilepsy. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2018;22:155-63. The type of study was recorded according to the interpretation of the data by the researchers. The choice of selecting patients exclusively with epilepsy was because motor impairment is considered an independent factor for 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency. 88 Petty SJ, Wilding H, Wark JD. Osteoporosis associated with epilepsy and the use of anti-epileptics - a review. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2016;14:54-65.

Statistical analysis

The studies were grouped in a meta-analysis. The dichotomous variables were expressed as proportions (percentage) and the continuous variables as means and standard deviations. The summary measure of the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was computed as the proportion (and respective 95% confidence interval) of patients with deficiency over the total sample, weighted by the study weight, using the random effects model. The inconsistency test (I 2) was used to assess heterogeneity between studies. A p-value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. The statistical analysis was performed using the "meta" package of the R program (R Core Team (2017). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, version 3.5.1, Vienna, Austria).

Results

The flowchart showing the search results and selection details is depicted in Fig. 1. 1717 Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Int J Surg. 2010;8:336-41. During the search, 748 articles were found, of which 29 were relevant to the objectives of this study (Table 1). 1818 Marcus JC, Pettifor JM. Folate and mineral metabolism in poorly nourished epileptic children. Arch Neurol. 1980;37:772-4.

19 Farhat G, Yamout B, Mikati MA, Demirjian S, Sawaya R, El-Hajj Fuleihan G. Effect of antiepileptic drugs on bone density in ambulatory patients. Neurology. 2002;58:1348-53.

20 Nicolaidou P, Georgouli H, Kotsalis H, Matsinos Y, Papadopoulou A, Fretzayas A, et al. Effects of anticonvulsant therapy on vitamin D status in children: prospective monitoring study. J Child Neurol. 2006;21:205-10.

21 Krishnamoorthy G, Karande S, Ahire N, Mathew L, Kulkarni M. Bone metabolism alteration on antiepileptic drug therapy. Indian J Pediatr. 2009;76:377-83.

22 Rauchenzauner M, Griesmacher A, Tatarczyk T, Haberlandt E, Strasak A, Zimmerhackl L-B, et al. Chronic antiepileptic monotherapy, bone metabolism, and body composition in non-institutionalized children: antiepileptic therapy and bone metabolism. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2010;52:283-8.

23 Misra A, Aggarwal A, Singh O, Sharma S. Effect of carbamazepine therapy on vitamin D and parathormone in epileptic children. Pediatr Neurol. 2010;43:320-4.

24 Shellhaas RA, Barks AK, Joshi SM. Prevalence and risk factors for vitamin D insufficiency among children with epilepsy. Pediatr Neurol. 2010;42:422-6.

25 Borusiak P, Langer T, Heruth M, Karenfort M, Bettendorf U, Jenke AC. Antiepileptic drugs and bone metabolism in children: data from 128 patients. J Child Neurol. 2013;28:176-83.

26 Fong CY, Riney CJ. Vitamin D deficiency among children with epilepsy in South Queensland. J Child Neurol. 2014;29:368-73.

27 Baek J-H, Seo Y-H, Kim G-H, Kim M-K, Eun B-L. Vitamin D levels in children and adolescents with antiepileptic drug treatment. Yonsei Med J. 2014;55:417.

28 Lee Y-J, Park KM, Kim YM, Yeon GM, Nam SO. Longitudinal change of vitamin D status in children with epilepsy on antiepileptic drugs: prevalence and risk factors. Pediatr Neurol. 2015;52:153-9.

29 Vera V, Moran J, Barros P, Canal-Macias M, Guerrero-Bonmatty R, Costa-Fernandez C, et al. Greater calcium intake is associated with better bone health measured by quantitative ultrasound of the phalanges in pediatric patients treated with anticonvulsant drugs. Nutrients. 2015;7:9908-17.

30 Paticheep S, Chotipanich C, Khusiwilai K, Wichaporn A, Khongsaengdao S. Antiepileptic drugs and bone health in Thai children with epilepsy. J Med Assoc Thai. 2015;98:535-41.

31 Patil N, Rai S. Study of vitamin D levels in epileptic children in age group of 2-16 years. Asian J Pharm Clin Res. 2015;8:242-3.

32 Tosun A, Erisen Karaca S, Unuvar T, Yurekli Y, Yenisey C, Omurlu IK. Bone mineral density and vitamin D status in children with epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and cerebral palsy with epilepsy. Childs Nerv Syst. 2017;33:153-8.

33 Yildiz EP, Poyrazoglu Ş, Bektas G, Kardelen AD, Aydinli N. Potential risk factors for vitamin D levels in medium- and long-term use of antiepileptic drugs in childhood. Acta Neurol Belg. 2017;117:447-53.

34 Chaudhuri JR, Mridula KR, Rathnakishore C. Association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency in pediatric epileptic patients. Iran J Child Neurol. 2017;11:48-56.

35 Attilakos A, Tsirouda M, Dinopoulos A, Garoufi A. Vitamin D status in children with epilepsy treated with levetiracetam monotherapy. Epilepsy Res. 2018;148:116.

36 Attilakos A, Dinopoulos A, Paschalidou M, Tsirouda M, Karalexi M, Prasouli A, et al. Long-term effect of levetiracetam monotherapy on haematological parameters in children with epilepsy: a prospective study. Epilepsy Res. 2018;145:160-2.

37 Viraraghavan VR, Seth A, Aneja S, Singh R, Dhanwal D. Effect of high dose vitamin d supplementation on vitamin d nutrition status of pre-pubertal children on anti-epileptic drugs - a randomized controlled trial. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2019;29:36-40.

38 Sreedharan M, Devadathan K, Kunju PM. Vitamin D deficiency in ambulant children on carbamazepine or sodium valproate monotherapy. Indian Pediatr. 2018;55:307-10.
- 3939 Durá-Travé T, Gallinas-Victoriano F, Malumbres-Chacón M, Moreno-Gónzalez P, Aguilera-Albesa S, Yoldi-Petri ME. Vitamin D deficiency in children with epilepsy taking valproate and levetiracetam as monotherapy. Epilepsy Res. 2018;139:80-4. A total of 2368 children were included.

Figure 1
Flowchart with the search results and selection details.Adapted from Moher et al. 1717 Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Int J Surg. 2010;8:336-41.

Table 1
Characteristics of the studies included in the final analysis.

The studies were carried out in 17 different countries, most of them located in the northern hemisphere. Turkey and India were the countries with the most publications. Regarding the cutoff point used to define 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency, they ranged from 10 to 20 ng/mL, with the value of 20 ng/mL being the most frequently used (13 studies).

Prevalenceof25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency

Twenty-nine studies reported data to calculate the prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency. The proportion of patients using antiepileptic drugs who developed deficiency in relation to the total number of patients was 0.32 (95% CI = 0.25-0.41; I 2 = 92%, p < 0.01; Fig. 2). A funnel plot analysis showed the presence of publication bias.

Figure 2
Forest plot of the total study sample and the proportion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency observed.

Prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency by subgroups

The prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency was analyzed by subgroups, according to the type of study (cross-sectional and cohort), considering patients exclusively with epilepsy (without motor impairment) and according to the type of antiepileptic drug used (CYP450 inducers, non-inducers of CYP450, or not metabolized by this route). The results were as follows: in the sample of cross-sectional studies (22 articles), 0.28 (95%CI = 0.21-0.37; I 2 = 92%, p < 0.01); in the sample of cohort studies (seven articles), 0.52 (95%CI = 0.40-0.64; I 2 = 76%, p < 0.01); in the analysis of patients exclusively with epilepsy, 0.29 (95%CI = 0.20-0.40; I 2 = 92%, p < 0.01); in the group of patients using antiepileptic drugs that were CYP450 inducers, 0.33 (95% CI = 0.21-0.47; I 2 = 86%, p < 0.01); in the group of patients using antiepileptic drugs that were not CYP450 inducers, 0.24 (95% CI = 0.15-0.36; I 2 = 82%, p < 0.01); in the group of patients using other antiepileptic drugs, which have no effect related to liver metabolism through CYP450, 0.25 (95%CI = 0.11-0.46; I 2 = 64%, p < 0.01). The analysis of prevalence was also performed, disregarding the four studies that had zero patients with 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency. 1010 Razazizan N, Mirmoeini M, Daeichin S, Ghadiri K. Comparison of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, calcium and alkaline phosphatase levels in epileptic and non-epileptic children. Acta Neurol Taiwanica. 2013;22:112-6., 2121 Krishnamoorthy G, Karande S, Ahire N, Mathew L, Kulkarni M. Bone metabolism alteration on antiepileptic drug therapy. Indian J Pediatr. 2009;76:377-83., 2222 Rauchenzauner M, Griesmacher A, Tatarczyk T, Haberlandt E, Strasak A, Zimmerhackl L-B, et al. Chronic antiepileptic monotherapy, bone metabolism, and body composition in non-institutionalized children: antiepileptic therapy and bone metabolism. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2010;52:283-8., 2929 Vera V, Moran J, Barros P, Canal-Macias M, Guerrero-Bonmatty R, Costa-Fernandez C, et al. Greater calcium intake is associated with better bone health measured by quantitative ultrasound of the phalanges in pediatric patients treated with anticonvulsant drugs. Nutrients. 2015;7:9908-17. In the analysis, the proportion of patients who developed 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency in relation to the total number of patients was 0.37 (95%CI = 0.29-0.45; I 2 = 92%, p < 0.01). Funnel plots showed publication bias in the subgroup analyses.

Discussion

This meta-analysis summarized the data from 29 studies that assessed 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency in pediatric patients using antiepileptic drugs, comprising a total of 2368 patients. Approximately 760 had vitamin D deficiency at the time of assessment - a prevalence of 32%. This result is consistent with what the medical literature has shown for some decades, that the use of antiepileptic drugs may result in 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency and consequent worsening of bone health in patients with epilepsy. 88 Petty SJ, Wilding H, Wark JD. Osteoporosis associated with epilepsy and the use of anti-epileptics - a review. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2016;14:54-65., 4040 Samaniego EA, Sheth RD. Bone consequences of epilepsy and antiepileptic medications. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2007;14:196-200.

It is known that sun exposure and diet are some of the main factors involved in the metabolism and plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Therefore, a higher prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency is expected in countries located at higher latitudes 4141 Karppinen T, Ala-Houhala M, Ylianttila L, Kautiainen H, Lakkala K, Hannula H-R, et al. The effect of vernal solar UV radiation on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration depends on the baseline level: observations from a high latitude in Finland. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2017;76:1272790. and in places with a diet low in vitamin D2 and D3. 4242 Mithal A, Wahl DA, Bonjour JP, Burckhardt P, Dawson-Hughes B, Eisman JA, et al. Global vitamin D status and determinants of hypovitaminosis D. Osteoporos Int. 2009;20:1807-20. Taking into account that Turkey was the country that generated the most studies for this review, a reference for the 25-hydroxyvitamin D value in that population was sought. Hocaoglu-emre et al. 4343 Hocaoglu-Emre FS, Saribal D, Oğuz O. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency according to the current criteria for children: vitamin D status of elementary school children in Turkey. J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol. 2019;11:181-8. evaluated a sample of 640 children living in Istanbul (Turkey) and found a mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D value of 25.95 ng/mL and a deficiency prevalence of 5.6%, considering values <12 ng/mL. This information suggests that the prevalence found in this meta-analysis may actually be related to the use of antiepileptic drugs.

Conditions that determine motor impairment, such as cerebral palsy, are also independently associated with bone disease. 88 Petty SJ, Wilding H, Wark JD. Osteoporosis associated with epilepsy and the use of anti-epileptics - a review. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2016;14:54-65. Aiming to exclude a possible confounding factor, a meta-analysis of the subgroup of patients exclusively with epilepsy was performed, i.e., those without motor disabilities. Unlike what some studies in the literature previously showed, 2828 Lee Y-J, Park KM, Kim YM, Yeon GM, Nam SO. Longitudinal change of vitamin D status in children with epilepsy on antiepileptic drugs: prevalence and risk factors. Pediatr Neurol. 2015;52:153-9., 3232 Tosun A, Erisen Karaca S, Unuvar T, Yurekli Y, Yenisey C, Omurlu IK. Bone mineral density and vitamin D status in children with epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and cerebral palsy with epilepsy. Childs Nerv Syst. 2017;33:153-8. the subgroup analysis showed no difference in the prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency in relation to that performed for the total sample of studies. The fact that most patients included in the total analysis had only epilepsy contributed to this finding.

Another factor reported as a risk for 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency and worsening bone health in these patients is the use of hepatic metabolism-inducing antiepileptic drugs through CYP450. 55 He X, Jiang P, Zhu W, Xue Y, Li H, Dang R, et al. Effect of antiepileptic therapy on serum 25(OH)D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3 levels in epileptic children. Ann Nutr Metab. 2016;68:119-27., 1212 Fong CY, Kong AN, Poh BK, Mohamed AR, Khoo TB, Ng RL, et al. Vitamin D deficiency and its risk factors in Malaysian children with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2016;57:1271-9., 1313 Yaghini O, Tonekaboni SH, Amir Shahkarami SM, Ahmad Abadi F, Shariat F, Abdollah Gorji F. Bone mineral density in ambulatory children with epilepsy. Indian J Pediatr. 2015;82:225-9. Therefore, an assessment of the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was also carried out according to the subgroups related to the profile of the antiepileptic drugs used. The subgroup of patients who used antiepileptic drugs that were inducersshowed a higher prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (33%) compared to the subgroup that used antiepileptic drugs that were non-inducers (24%) and the subgroup that used antiepileptic drugs that were not metabolized through this system (25%).

Antiepileptic drugs can also be divided into potent (phenobarbital, phenytoin, and carbamazepine) or weak inducers (topiramate at doses above 200 mg/day and oxcarbazepine) 4444 Silvado C. Farmacogenética e antiepilépticos (farmacologia das drogas antiepilépticas: da teoria à prática). J Epilepsy Clin Neurophysiol. 2008;14:51-6.; however, this subanalysis was not conducted in this study. It is likely that for each antiepileptic drug there is more than one mechanism responsible for its effect on bone metabolism, 4545 Kothare SV, Kaleyias J. The adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs in children. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2007;6:251-65. as well as that for each subject there is an individual response to the antiepileptic drug used, which is genetically determined. 4646 Yacubian EM. Farmacocinética dos fármacos antiepilépticos. In: Yacubian EM, Contreras-Caicedo G, Ríos-Pohl L, editors. Tratamento medicamentoso das epilepsias. São Paulo: Leitura Médica; 2014. p. 35-50.

Considering the design of the articles included, all were observational studies. It is known that meta-analyses of observational studies have particular characteristics due to inherent biases and different study designs. 1414 Stroup DF. Meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology: a proposal for reporting. JAMA. 2000;283:2008. In an attempt to make the analysis more homogeneous, sub-analyses were performed according to the type of study. In the analysis of the cohort studies, there was a prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency of 52% and slightly less heterogeneity among the studies in comparison with the analysis of the cross-sectional studies, which maintained values similar to those observed in the evaluation in the total sample of the studies.

Regarding the analysis of the prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, disregarding the studies that showed no patients with 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency, it was observed that there was no difference in the value related to the heterogeneity when compared to the total sample. The possible explanations found for the lack of patients with deficiency in these studies were as follows: Rauchenzauner et al. 2222 Rauchenzauner M, Griesmacher A, Tatarczyk T, Haberlandt E, Strasak A, Zimmerhackl L-B, et al. Chronic antiepileptic monotherapy, bone metabolism, and body composition in non-institutionalized children: antiepileptic therapy and bone metabolism. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2010;52:283-8. included only monotherapy patients with non-enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs or minimally enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs; Krishnamoorthy et al. 2121 Krishnamoorthy G, Karande S, Ahire N, Mathew L, Kulkarni M. Bone metabolism alteration on antiepileptic drug therapy. Indian J Pediatr. 2009;76:377-83. and Vera et al. 2929 Vera V, Moran J, Barros P, Canal-Macias M, Guerrero-Bonmatty R, Costa-Fernandez C, et al. Greater calcium intake is associated with better bone health measured by quantitative ultrasound of the phalanges in pediatric patients treated with anticonvulsant drugs. Nutrients. 2015;7:9908-17. did not disclose the cutoff point used for 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency and their studies have a small sample size; and finally, Razazizan et al. 1010 Razazizan N, Mirmoeini M, Daeichin S, Ghadiri K. Comparison of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, calcium and alkaline phosphatase levels in epileptic and non-epileptic children. Acta Neurol Taiwanica. 2013;22:112-6. characterized their sample as monotherapy patients, who had normal physical activity and were adequately exposed to sunlight.

Finally, it is emphasized that the main innovation of this research was the outcome used. Previous meta-analyses used the bone mineral density outcome or considered the 25-hydroxyvitamin D variation with the use of the antiepileptic drug, which, despite being a significant data point, does not always result in clinical significance. 88 Petty SJ, Wilding H, Wark JD. Osteoporosis associated with epilepsy and the use of anti-epileptics - a review. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2016;14:54-65., 4747 Petty SJ, O'Brien TJ, Wark JD. Anti-epileptic medication and bone health. Osteoporos Int. 2007;18:129-42., 4848 Zhang Y, Zheng Y, Zhu J, Zhang J, Zheng Z. Effects of antiepileptic drugs on bone mineral density and bone metabolism in children: a meta-analysis. J Zhejiang Univ-Sci B. 2015;16:611-21.

Limitations

It is understood that this meta-analysis has some limitations. Moreover, the studies used different methodologies to assess this metabolite, limitations inherent to the included studies. In the analysis of the main outcome, there is no uniformity between studies regarding the definition of the cutoff point for 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency. Undoubtedly, these factors are involved in the high heterogeneity observed in practically all analyses, including by subgroups. The articles also lack data related to the type of epilepsy, cause of the epilepsy, family history of osteoporosis, and physical activity. Keeping in mind that changes in vitamin D metabolism related to the use of antiepileptic drugs seem to have a multifactorial etiology, 88 Petty SJ, Wilding H, Wark JD. Osteoporosis associated with epilepsy and the use of anti-epileptics - a review. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2016;14:54-65. all of these data are possible confounding factors in the analysis.

No sub-analyses were performed according to the classification of antiepileptic drugs as potent or weak inducers of cytochrome P450. Therefore, drugs such as phenobarbital, phenytoin, and carbamazepine could be related to even more significant values of vitamin D deficiency than those determined in this meta-analysis.

Although only articles in Portuguese, Spanish, and English were included for the convenience of the researchers, the impact was minimal, as only eight studies were excluded due to this criterion.

Conclusion

Vitamin D deficiency and bone disease are neglected clinical situations in the context of long-term use of antiepileptic drugs in childhood. It can be observed that, even though there is a consistent pathophysiological basis for changes in the metabolism of 25-hydroxyvitamin D due to the use of medication, the data evidenced in this meta-analysis do not reliably indicate the existence of a related deficiency. However, as it is a complex, multifactorial disease, it is believed that efforts are still needed toward a better understanding of possible related factors in the process, as well as the standardization of vitamin D deficiency assessment parameters in the studies.

Taking into account the deleterious effects of vitamin D deficiency on bone health and, consequently, on the quality of life of these individuals, it is suggested to include the monitoring of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, supplementation with cholecalciferol, and treatment of the deficiency in25-hydroxyvitamin D when it exists. This approach is in line with the principle of not only treating epileptic seizures, but patients with epilepsy, who sometimes have motor impairments, are rarely exposed to sunlight, and do not consume a sufficient daily intake of vitamins D2 and D3. It is also suggested to consider patients using antiepileptic drugs that are cytochrome P450inducers as the group most at risk for developing vitamin D deficiency.

  • Please cite this article as: Junges C, Machado TD, Nunes Filho PR, Riesgo R, Mello ED. Vitamin D deficiency in pediatric patients using antiepileptic drugs: systematic review with meta-analysis. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2020;96:559-68.
  • ☆☆
    Study conducted at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Appendix A Supplementary data

Supplementary material related to this article can be found, in the online version, at doi:10.1016/j.jped.2020.01.004.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    11 Nov 2020
  • Date of issue
    Sep-Oct 2020

History

  • Received
    3 May 2019
  • Accepted
    17 Jan 2020
  • Published
    12 Mar 2020
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