title: Effects of Malnutrition on Neutrophil/Mononuclear Cell Apoptotic Functions in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies claim that apoptosis may explain immune dysfunction observed in malnutrition.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine the effect of malnutrition on apoptotic functions of phagocytic cells in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight ALL patients (13 with malnutrition) and thirty controls were enrolled. Neutrophil and mononuclear cell apoptosis of ALL patients and the control group were studied on admission before chemotherapy and repeated at a minimum of three months after induction of chemotherapy or when the nutritional status of leukemic children improved.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The apoptotic functions of both ALL groups on admission were significantly lower than those of the control group. The apoptotic functions were lower in ALL patients with malnutrition than those in ALL patients without malnutrition, but this was not statistically significant. The repeated apoptotic functions of both ALL groups were increased to similar values with the control group. This increase was found to be statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The apoptotic functions in ALL patients were not found to be affected by malnutrition. However, after dietary intervention, increased apoptotic functions in both ALL patient groups deserve mentioning. Dietary intervention should always be recommended as malnutrition or cachexia leads to multiple complications. Enhanced apoptosis might originate also from remission state of cancer.
authors.affiliation: a Bezmialem Vakif University , Pediatric Hematology-Oncology , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatma Betul
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Cakir
authors.affiliation: b The Children's Hospital at Montefiore , The Pediatric Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Refuah Health Center , NewYork , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Su Gülsün
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Berrak
authors.affiliation: c Istanbul Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Government Education and Research Hospital, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Gonul
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aydogan
authors.affiliation: d Marmara University Medical Center , Internal Medicine Hematology-Immunology Department , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tulunay
authors.affiliation: e Istanbul Medeniyet University , Pediatric Hematology-Oncology , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Cetin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Timur
authors.affiliation: f Acibadem University School of Medicine , Pediatric Hematology-Oncology , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Canpolat
authors.affiliation: d Marmara University Medical Center , Internal Medicine Hematology-Immunology Department , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eksioglu Demiralp
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017209:Apoptosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies