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Increased whole-body protein turnover in sick children with newly diagnosed leukemia or lymphoma
Insights
Children with newly diagnosed cancer, including leukemia and lymphoma, exhibit increased whole-body protein synthesis and breakdown. This study utilized a [15N]glycine turnover technique to assess these metabolic changes in pediatric cancer patients compared to healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatric Oncology
- Metabolic Research
Background:
- Childhood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma significantly impact a child's metabolism.
- Understanding protein turnover is crucial for managing nutritional status in pediatric cancer patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whole-body protein synthesis and breakdown rates in children with newly diagnosed leukemia or lymphoma.
- To compare protein turnover in pediatric cancer patients with that of healthy children.
Main Methods:
- Employed a single-dose [15N]glycine turnover technique to measure protein synthesis and breakdown.
- Assessed nitrogen-15 (15N) excretion as urinary ammonia to quantify protein metabolism.
- Analyzed protein turnover data in relation to creatinine excretion and lean body mass.
Main Results:
- Pediatric cancer patients showed significantly higher rates of protein synthesis (5.4 g/kg/day) compared to controls (3.6 g/kg/day).
- Protein breakdown was also significantly elevated in cancer patients (5.5 g/kg/day) versus controls (3.1 g/kg/day).
- These increases in synthesis and breakdown were consistent when data were normalized by creatinine excretion or lean body mass.
Conclusions:
- Whole-body protein turnover is significantly increased in children at the time of diagnosis with certain newly diagnosed cancers.
- The findings highlight the heightened metabolic demands in pediatric cancer patients.
- Further research may explore nutritional interventions to address increased protein turnover in this population.
Abstract:
Using a single dose, [15N]glycine turnover technique, whole body rates of proteins synthesis and breakdown were assessed in six healthy children and in eight children with newly diagnosed leukemia (DeWys, W. D. Cancer Res., 42: 721s-726s, 1982) or lymphoma (Baracos, V., Rodemann, H. P., Dinarello, C. A., and Goldberg, A. L. N. Engl. J. Med., 308: 553-558, 1983). Based on excretion of 15N as urinary ammonia, synthesis (g protein per kg body weight per day) was significantly (p less than 0.025) higher in the cancer patients [5.4 +/- 1.5 (S.D.)] compared to the controls (3.6 +/- 0.9); breakdown was also higher (p less than 0.02) in the patients (5.5 +/- 1.8) compared to the controls (3.1 +/- 1.1). When only the seven patients with leukemia were considered, there also were significant increases in synthesis (5.4 +/- 1.6, p less than 0.05) and breakdown (5.4 +/- 1.9, p less than 0.025) compared to controls. Increases in both synthesis and breakdown were also observed in the patients when the protein turnover data were expressed as a function of the rate of creatinine excretion or the calculated lean body mass. We conclude that whole body protein turnover is increased in sick children at the time of diagnosis with some forms of newly diagnosed cancer.