title: Serial plasma concentrations of PYY and ghrelin during chemotherapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate peptide YY (PYY) and ghrelin secretion, at diagnosis and during chemotherapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Measurements were performed at diagnosis, after the induction-consolidation phase and at standard time points before each cycle in 9 patients with ALL aged 2 to 7 years (median 4.3 y). Body mass index (BMI) and leukemic burden were estimated at the same time points and correlated with PYY and ghrelin levels. Nine healthy children matched for age and sex were used as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At diagnosis, mean PYY levels were high (P<0.0001) and mean active ghrelin were low, compared with controls (P<0.001). Compared with baseline values, PYY increased significantly after the induction-consolidation phase (P=0.033), and returned progressively to pretreatment levels after the sixth cycle, whereas ghrelin fluctuated and stabilized at significantly higher levels (P=0.024) after the eighth cycle of chemotherapy. However, ghrelin was still low, compared with controls (P<0.001), after the eighth cycle. Delta (final-baseline) mean PYY was negatively correlated with delta mean BMI SD score (-0.612, P=0.010) and positively with leukemic burden (0.529, P=0.015), whereas delta mean ghrelin was positively correlated with delta mean BMI SD score (0.626, P=0.009) and negatively with leukemic burden (-0.567, P=0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PYY and ghrelin play a major role in pathogenesis of anorexia-cachexia syndrome in pediatric ALL patients.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Unit, First Department of Pediatrics, Athens University Medical School, Agia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moschovi
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trimis
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vounatsou
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katsibardi
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Margeli
authors.forename: Filia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dimitriadi
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papassotiriou
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chrousos
authors.forename: Fotini
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tzortzatou-Stathopoulou
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood; D019894:Peptide YY / Q000097:blood*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D019894:Peptide YY