Hyperferritinemia in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: What Does it Mean?

The evolution of nutritional care in children and young people with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a narrative review

BACKGROUND

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common paediatric malignancy in the world. Advances in treatment protocols have resulted in survival rates of >80% in most high-income countries (HIC); however, children and young people (CYP) with ALL continue to face significant nutrition-related challenges during treatment.

METHODS

This narrative review outlines the changing landscape of treatment and survivorship for CYP with ALL and the advances in nutrition knowledge that call for changes to clinical nutrition practice.

RESULTS

The incidence of ALL has remained stable in HIC; however, there have been significant advances in survival over the past 30 years. Overweight and obesity are increasingly prevalent in CYP with ALL at diagnosis, during treatment and in survivorship. Coupled with poor diet quality, high-energy and saturated fat intakes, altered eating behaviours and inactivity, this necessitates the need for a shift in nutrition intervention. Undernutrition remains a concern for CYP with high-risk treatment protocols where oral or enteral nutrition support remains a cornerstone of maintaining nutrition status.

CONCLUSIONS

With improved treatment protocols and high survival rates, a shift to focusing on diet quality, prevention of excessive weight gain and obesity during treatment and survivorship is necessary.

Soluble Hemojuvelin and Ferritin: Potential Prognostic Markers in Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

OBJECTIVE

Iron overload (IO) is a common and life-threatening complication resulting from the therapy of AL and HCT patients. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of 12 serum biomarkers of iron metabolism in pediatric patients treated for AL or undergoing HCT.

PATIENTS

Overall, 50 patients with AL after intensive treatment and 32 patients after HCT were prospectively included in the study. AL patients at diagnosis and healthy controls served as reference groups.

METHODS

The impact of the following 12 serum iron metabolism parameters on the outcome of AL/HCT patients was analyzed: iron, transferrin (Tf), total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), ferritin, ferritin heavy chains (FTH1), ferritin light chains (FTL), hepcidin, soluble hemojuvelin (sHJV), soluble ferroportin-1 (sFPN1), erythroferrone (ERFE), erythropoietin (EPO), and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR).

RESULTS

With a median follow-up of 2.2 years, high levels of ferritin and low levels of sHJV had an adverse prognostic impact on OS and EFS in children after HCT. If these patients were combined with those with AL after intensive chemotherapy, the results were confirmed for OS and EFS both for ferritin and sHJV.

CONCLUSIONS

Among the 12 analyzed serum parameters of iron metabolism, increased levels of ferritin and decreased levels of sHJV had an adverse prognostic impact on survival in children after HCT. More data are needed to clarify the relationship between ferritin, sHJV, and mortality of AL children after intensive chemotherapy, and more extensive prospective studies are required to prove sHJV predictivity.

Micronutrient status influences clinical outcomes of paediatric cancer patients during treatment: A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Research reporting plasma micronutrient status and its impact on clinical outcomes in paediatric cancer is scarce. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of plasma micronutrient abnormalities and their impact on clinical outcomes and treatment complications.

METHODS

A multicentre prospective-cohort study of children aged <18 years diagnosed with cancer was performed between Aug 2010-Jan 2014. Clinical and nutritional data were collected at diagnosis, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months. Micronutrient status was established using in-house laboratory references (vitamin B12, vitamin A and Vitamin E/Ch) and aged adjusted Z-scores (Mg, Se, Zn and Cu) generated from a cohort of healthy Scottish children. Clinical outcomes were classified as "event free survival (EFS)" or "event" (relapse, death, new metastasis or becoming palliative) and treatment complications. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression and multilevel analysis were performed.

RESULTS

Eighty-two patients [median (IQR) 3.9 (1.9-8.8) years, 56% males] were recruited. Of these, 72 (88%) samples were available, 74% (53/72) patients had micronutrient abnormalities at baseline; deficiencies (25%, 18/72), excesses (19%, 14/72) and a combination of both (29%, 21/72), which continued for 18 months. Vitamin A deficiency (15%, 3/20) and excess (50%, 10/20) were most prevalent at 18 months, whilst vitamin E/Cholesterol and vitamin B12 were mostly within the normal range. Prevalence of Zn deficiency at diagnosis was 36% (16/44 adjusted for CRP), which remained at these levels throughout the study. Reduction in each selenium concentration unit increased the odds of an event by 2% (OR 0.02) and lower Se predicted higher complications at diagnosis [β (-1.2); t (-2.1); 95% CI (-2.9 - (-0.04)); p = 0.04], 3 months [β (-3.9); t (-4.2); 95% CI (-5.57 - (-2.02)); p < 0.001] and 12 months [β (-2.3); t (-2.4); 95% CI (-4.10 - (-0.34)); p = 0.02].

CONCLUSIONS

Given the prevalence of micronutrient abnormalities and the negative impact of low selenium on clinical outcome, micronutrient status should be assessed and monitored in paediatric cancer patients. Larger multicentre population based studies and clinical trials are now warranted.