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Published on: November 21, 2018
Hair selenium status in children with leukemia and lymphoma
Ilker Tolga Ozgen1, Ayhan Dagdemir, Murat Elli
1Divisionsof Pediatric Oncology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Medical Faculty, Samsun, Turkey. drtolgaozgen@yahoo.com
Insights
Children with leukemia and lymphoma show lower hair selenium levels, particularly if malnourished. This suggests a potential link between selenium deficiency and childhood cancers, warranting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatric Oncology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Selenium (Se) is a vital trace element integral to the antioxidant system, protecting cells from oxidative damage.
- Low serum selenium levels are associated with cancer in both pediatric and adult populations.
- Hair selenium levels offer a reliable indicator of long-term body selenium status, though data in pediatric cancer patients is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate hair selenium status in children newly diagnosed with lymphoid malignancies.
- To explore the relationship between malnutrition and selenium deficiency in these pediatric cancer patients.
- To investigate potential correlations between hair selenium levels and specific lymphoid malignancies.
Main Methods:
- Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was employed to determine selenium concentrations.
- Hair samples were analyzed from 30 children with leukemia or lymphoma and 25 healthy controls.
- Statistical analysis compared hair selenium levels between patient groups and controls, considering nutritional status.
Main Results:
- Children with leukemia and lymphoma exhibited significantly lower hair selenium levels compared to the healthy control group (P<0.001).
- Malnourished patients within the study group displayed markedly lower hair selenium levels than controls (P=0.036).
- While not statistically significant, children with lymphoma had lower hair selenium than those with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric patients with leukemia and lymphoma, especially those who are malnourished, present with reduced hair selenium levels.
- The findings highlight a potential association between low hair selenium and childhood lymphoid malignancies.
- Further research is essential to elucidate the role of low hair selenium levels in the development of childhood cancers.
Abstract:
Selenium (Se) is a trace element contributing to the structure of antioxidant system that saves cells from reactive oxygen species. Low serum Se levels have been reported in pediatric and adult patients with cancers. On the other hand, hair Se levels, predicting the long-term body Se status, have been reported in only adult patients with cancer. The aim of the study was to investigate the hair Se status in children with newly diagnosed lymphoid malignancies and the relation between malnutrition and Se deficiency. Thirty patients with leukemia (n=17) and lymphoma (n=13), and 25 healthy controls were enrolled to the study. Se was determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometrical method. Hair Se levels of the patients were significantly lower than those of control group [666.96+/-341.46 ng/g vs. 1019.22+/-371.83 ng/g (P<0.001)]. Children with lymphoma had lower Se than the children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia but not statistically significant [547.03+/-283.67 ng/g vs. 758.67+/-361.05 ng/g (P>0.05)]. Malnourished patients (11/30) had lower hair Se levels (483.51+/-235.55 ng/g) than those of the controls (P=0.036), whereas the Se levels of the patients who had no malnutrition (773.17+/-352.92 ng/g) were also lower than those of the controls but not statistically significant (P=0.053). There was no correlation between age, sex, and the hair Se levels. In this study, we found that hair Se levels of the children with leukemia and lymphoma, especially those of malnourished patients, were lower than those of controls. Additional studies are needed to determinate whether low levels of hair Se may play a role in carcinogenesis.
