title: [Preliminary study on the safety and pharmacodynamic action of low dose L-asparaginase].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the safety and therapeutic effect of low dose (1000 U/m(2)) L-asparaginase (L-Asp) in the treatment of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Six patients were treated with low dose L-Asp after previously suffered severe side effects from standard dose L-Asp (5000 - 10,000 U/m(2)). Twenty-eight blood samples were obtained randomly from 5 of them. Plasma asparagine concentration was detected by reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the patients treated with low dose L-Asp showed no any toxic symptoms. The plasma asparagine levels in the patients were all above 5 micromol/L except case 4 (4.91 micromol/L) before receiving L-Asp, and were all decreased below 0.5 micromol/L five days after receiving low dose L-Asp, except case 3 (3.70 micromol/L), the results being like that of receiving standard dose L-Asp.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low dose L-Asp has definite efficacy for childhood ALL, while avoids serious side effects from standard dose L-Asp.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou 510120, China.
authors.forename: Zi-liang
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Fu-xiong
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tie-zhen
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Yong-hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Yan-qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Ya-wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Cheng-yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Shu-ling
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Guo-yu
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Jing-ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Feng-Gui
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D001215:Asparaginase / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001215:Asparaginase