title: Energy expenditure, energy intake and prevalence of obesity after therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia during childhood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence and potential risk factors of obesity after therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
  
  
  METHODS
  39 ALL patients (age 10.7-20.5 years) who were in first remission for 3.4-14.6 years after standardized treatment with chemotherapy plus cranial irradiation (n = 25) or with chemotherapy alone (n = 14) were examined. After fasting overnight, the following parameters were investigated: body mass index (BMI) of patients and their parents; patients' BMI before ALL therapy; serum free thyroxin, growth hormone-dependent factors, estradiol, testosterone, cortisol, leptin and c-peptide; fat-free mass (bioelectrical impedance); resting metabolic rate (RMR, indirect calorimetry); caloric intake (24-hour recall); and physical activity (questionnaire). RMR data were applied to the fat-free mass and compared with 83 controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of obesity (criterion: BMI > 2 SDS) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher after ALL therapy (38%; irradiated patients 48%, non-irradiated patients 21%) than before therapy (3%). Compared to non-irradiated patients, irradiated patients had significantly lower RMRs (-1.07 +/- 0.24 vs. -0.32 +/- 0.21 SDS; p < 0.05), reduced physical activity levels (1.41 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.52 +/- 0.03; p < 0.05), and lower concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (-0.65 +/- 0.17 vs. 0.25 +/- 0.33 SDS; p < 0.05) and of free thyroxin (1.17 +/- 0.06 vs. 1.38 +/- 0.08 ng/dl; p < 0.05). Caloric intake was adequate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After ALL during childhood, patients face a higher risk of obesity. In the cranially irradiated patients, the likely causes are low physical activity, RMRs and hormonal insufficiency.
authors.affiliation: University Children's Hospital, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Dopfer
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ranke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D012074:Remission Induction; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002096:C-Peptide; D020738:Leptin; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D013974:Thyroxine; D006854:Hydrocortisone