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Published on: December 14, 2011
Skeletal muscle protein mass correlates with the lipid status in children with solid tumors and before bone marrow
M H Taskinen1, M Antikainen, U M Saarinen-Pihkala
1Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Insights
Children undergoing cancer therapy show altered lipid levels, with higher triacylglycerol and lower HDL cholesterol. These lipid changes correlate with reduced muscle protein, indicating a link between malnutrition and lipid status in pediatric cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Children undergoing cancer therapy often experience significant physiological changes.
- Protein-energy malnutrition is a common complication in pediatric cancer patients.
- Understanding lipid status alterations is crucial for managing treatment side effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in lipid profiles of children during anticancer treatment.
- To assess the impact of protein-energy malnutrition on plasma lipids in these children.
Main Methods:
- Prospective follow-up study involving children undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or treated for solid tumors.
- Lipid status was assessed by measuring lipoproteins, cholesterol, and triacylglycerol.
- Protein reserves were evaluated using muscle index (MI) and serum protein concentrations.
Main Results:
- Children with cancer exhibited increased plasma triacylglycerol and decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol compared to healthy controls.
- Plasma triacylglycerol levels negatively correlated with skeletal muscle protein mass (MI).
- Serum prealbumin concentration positively correlated with plasma total cholesterol.
Conclusions:
- Abnormalities in lipid status are linked to diminished skeletal muscle protein reserves in pediatric cancer patients.
- These findings highlight the interplay between nutritional status and lipid metabolism during cancer therapy.
- Further research is warranted to explore therapeutic interventions targeting lipid and protein metabolism.
Objective:
To evaluate the changes in lipid status in children during anticancer therapy, with special reference to the effect of protein-energy malnutrition on plasma lipids.
Design:
Prospective follow-up study.
Setting:
The study was carried out in the Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Subjects:
The study group consisted of 33 children going through bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and 10 children with malignant solid tumors. The BMT patients were evaluated before transplantation and 1 and 3 months after BMT, and the tumor patients were studied at diagnosis and in remission. The reference group consisted of 23 healthy children.
Interventions:
As indicators of lipid status, lipoproteins and the concentration of cholesterol and triacylglycerol were measured. Protein reserves were expressed as muscle index (MI), derived from ultrasonographic measurement of the femoral quadriceps muscle. Body weight, triceps skinfold thickness and the serum concentration of albumin, prealbumin and transferrin were measured.
Results:
In both groups, plasma concentration of total triacylglycerol was increased and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol decreased as compared to the reference subjects. Plasma triacylglycerol concentration had a negative correlation with skeletal muscle protein mass (MI; r=0.34, P=0.02). The concentration of serum prealbumin correlated positively with plasma total cholesterol concentration (r=0.47, P=0.002).
Conclusions:
In children with cancer, abnormalities of lipid status are associated with changes in skeletal muscle protein reserves.
Sponsorship:
This study was supported by the Foundation of Pediatric Research, Helsinki, Finland and the Nona and Kullervo Väre Foundation, Helsinki, Finland.
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