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Cancer chemotherapy reduces plasma total antioxidant capacity in children with malignancies

Maria Papageorgiou1, Eftichia Stiakaki, Helen Dimitriou

  • 1Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Medical School, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, Heraklion, Crete 71003, Greece.

Leukemia Research
|November 16, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and corrected TAC (cTAC) decreased during chemotherapy in children with malignancy. These antioxidant levels returned to normal post-treatment, suggesting chemotherapy

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Antioxidants play a crucial role in combating oxidative stress.
  • Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and corrected TAC (cTAC) measure endogenous and exogenous antioxidant levels.
  • Understanding antioxidant dynamics in pediatric cancer is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate changes in TAC and cTAC in children with malignancy during antineoplastic treatment.
  • To assess the impact of chemotherapy on antioxidant status in pediatric cancer patients.
  • To investigate the recovery of antioxidant capacity after cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Measurement of TAC and cTAC in extracellular fluids of pediatric patients.
  • Comparison of TAC and cTAC levels between cancer-free children and those with malignancy at diagnosis.
  • Monitoring TAC and cTAC levels during and after chemotherapy.
  • In vitro and in vivo assessment of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation following chemotherapeutic agent administration.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in TAC and cTAC between cancer-free children and children with malignancy at diagnosis.
  • Antineoplastic treatment led to a significant decrease in both TAC and cTAC during chemotherapy.
  • Chemotherapeutic agents caused a significant increase in ROS both in vitro and in vivo.
  • Preliminary data indicate that TAC and cTAC levels returned to normal after therapy completion.

Conclusions:

  • Chemotherapy significantly reduces total and corrected antioxidant capacity in children with cancer.
  • Antineoplastic drugs may contribute to the observed decrease in antioxidant levels by increasing oxidative stress.
  • Antioxidant capacity appears to recover following the cessation of chemotherapy.

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