Abstract

 Background and objectives

 One of the major etiologies of lipid disorders in malignancies is the use of chemotherapy drugs, the most important of which is L-Asparginase. Studies in different centers with high dosages of L-Asparginase demonstrated different results. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of L-Asparginase at a dose of 6000 U/m² on lipid profile in Iranian children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Mofid Children Hospital of Tehran .

 Materials and Methods

 We performed a nonrandomized trial in which all children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) aged <15 years participated. Every case serves as his/her own control. The cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), HDL, LDL, VLDL, APOA, APOB and LPa were evaluated in three stages: before, during and 2 months after treatment with L-Asparginase after which the results were compared.

 Results

 In our study, 82 newly ALL diagnosed patients with the mean age of 6 years (within the age range of 0.12-14 and SD of 3.5) were evaluated. Mean seum level of TG in pretreatment stage was 163.9 mg% and during treatment with L-Asparginase 123 mg% demonstrating significant decline in TG serum level after administration of L-Asparginase (p=0.002). Mean serum level of cholesterol before administration of L-Asparginase was 151mg% and during treatment 140 showing no statistically significant difference (p= 0.061). LPa level in pretreatment phase was 24mg% and during treatment 14 showing a statistically significant difference (p= 0.0001).

 Conclusions

 L-Aspar resulted in decline in TG serum level and increase in HDL though with no significant difference in cholesterol level. Overall, L-Asparginase even at a dose of 6000U/M² does not raise blood level of triglyceride and cholesterol.

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 Key words : Leukemia, Lymphoblastic, Acute, L-Asparagine, children