Investigations of plasma carnitine profiles in children with celiac disease

Aim: To investigate plasma carnitine profiles in children with celiac disease as the possibility of carnitine deficiency was suggested in previous studies.

Methods: Plasma carnitine ester profiles using ESI triple quadrupol mass spectrometry were determined in 21 children with celiac disease (age: 13.43±0.85 years, BMI: 18.03±0.68kg/m²) and 20 healthy, age-matched controls (age: 13.61±0.77 years, BMI: 19.32±0.49kg/m²). Children with endocrine disorders or metabolic disease were excluded. Plasma anti-endomysium antibodies (EMA) were used to characterise disease activity.

Results: No differences were found between celiac patients and controls in plasma free and total carnitine concentrations (table). Neither the concentrations of the 12 acylcarnitines that were found to be reduced in adult celiac patients previously, nor the concentrations of other 12 acylcarnitines differed between children with celiac disease and controls. No significant difference in carnitine profiles between EMA positive and negative celiac children was found.

Table

Carnitine: µmol/l, mean (SE)	Controls (n=20)	Celiac patients (n=21)
Free carnitine	28.986 (1.692)	27.549 (1.167)
Acetylcarnitine (C2)	17.899 (1.237)	18.061 (1.003)
Propionylcarnitine (C3)	0.257 (0.019)	0.245 (0.013)
Butyrylcarnitine (C4)	0.523 (0.025)	0.543 (0.027)
Myristoylcarnitine (C14)	0.024 (0.002)	0.022 (0.002)
Myristoleylcarnitine (C14:1)	0.043 (0.005)	0.041 (0.006)
Oleylcarnitine (C18:1)	0.140 (0.008)	0.135 (0.017)
Total carnitine esters	20.649 (1.316)	20.794 (1.112)
Total carnitine	49.635 (2.530)	48.344 (1.964)

Summary: Clinically stable children with celiac disease CD did not show biochemical signs of secondary carnitine deficiency in the present study, even if the presence of plasma EMA indicated less than strict adherence to diet.