Taurine deficiency after intensive chemotherapy and/or radiation.
Taurine, a nonessential amino acid (AA), is the most abundant free AA in the intracellular space. We measured plasma AA concentrations in 36 patients 7-28 d after intensive chemotherapy and/or radiation. Plasma taurine concentrations were uniformly low in all patients (20.0 +/- 6.4 mumol/L, mean +/- SD). Plasma taurine in 11 healthy volunteer control subjects was 45.0 +/- 20.3 mumol/L (P less than 0.001). Other AA concentrations, specifically those of precursor AAs methionine and cystine, were normal. We prospectively measured plasma AA concentrations in 12 patients before starting and 6-10 d after completing intensive cytotoxic treatment. Values before treatment were 37.2 +/- 11.6, 109.6 +/- 30.7, and 18.5 +/- 4.8 for taurine, cystine, and methionine, respectively, and were 24.3 +/- 6.0, 111.2 +/- 23.8, and 24.0 +/- 14.5 after treatment. Pretreatment plasma taurine correlated directly with the magnitude of decrease in plasma taurine during cytotoxic treatment (n = 12, r = 0.85, P less than 0.01). Intensive cytotoxic chemotherapy and/or radiation leads to a reduction in plasma taurine concentrations without any change in its precursor AAs, methionine and cystine. The clinical relevance of plasma taurine depletion will need further study.
Desai
T K
TK
Department of Medicine, Harper Hospital, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.
Maliakkal
J
J
Kinzie
J L
JL
Ehrinpreis
M N
MN
Luk
G D
GD
Cejka
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000628:therapy; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000628:therapy; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000628:therapy; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013654:Taurine / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000652:urine
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D013654:Taurine