Hair Selenium Status in Children With Leukemia and Lymphoma

Abstract

Selenium (Se) is a trace element contributing to the structure of antioxidant system that saves cells from reactive oxygen species. Low serum Se levels have been reported in pediatric and adult patients with cancers. On the other hand, hair Se levels, predicting the long-term body Se status, have been reported in only adult patients with cancer. The aim of the study was to investigate the hair Se status in children with newly diagnosed lymphoid malignancies and the relation between malnutrition and Se deficiency. Thirty patients with leukemia (n=17) and lymphoma (n=13), and 25 healthy controls were enrolled to the study. Se was determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometrical method. Hair Se levels of the patients were significantly lower than those of control group [666.96+/-341.46 ng/g vs. 1019.22+/-371.83 ng/g (P<0.001)]. Children with lymphoma had lower Se than the children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia but not statistically significant [547.03+/-283.67 ng/g vs. 758.67+/-361.05 ng/g (P>0.05)]. Malnourished patients (11/30) had lower hair Se levels (483.51+/-235.55 ng/g) than those of the controls (P=0.036), whereas the Se levels of the patients who had no malnutrition (773.17+/-352.92 ng/g) were also lower than those of the controls but not statistically significant (P=0.053). There was no correlation between age, sex, and the hair Se levels. In this study, we found that hair Se levels of the children with leukemia and lymphoma, especially those of malnourished patients, were lower than those of controls. Additional studies are needed to determinate whether low levels of hair Se may play a role in carcinogenesis.

Selenium status in blood, urine, and hair samples of newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients

“…Oxidative stress produces free radicals, which are involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases including hematologic malignancy (5). The relationship between the trace element Se and the etiology of cancer remains contentious and interesting, despite the large number of published epidemiologic studies (10). Although selenium levels in plasma, serum, or whole blood samples reflect a short-term index of selenium status, hair selenium concentrations give information about long-term selenium status due to its slower turnover rate.…”

“…There have been several reports regarding decreased blood Se levels of adult cancer patients (5,13,22); however, there have been a limited number of studies that investigated Se status in childhood malignancies (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)17,23). Different hypotheses are suggested for explaining the relation between reduced Se levels and hematologic malignancies (10).…”

“…Leukemia is a malignant disease that is susceptible to antioxidant enzyme and essential elements alterations. Low Se levels have been reported in pediatric cancer patients (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)17).…”

“…Thereby, serum selenium concentrations are reduced (24). Secondly, the reduced Se concentration with disease progression might be due to dietary changes (10,24).…”

“…Different hypotheses are suggested for explaining the relation between reduced Se levels and hematologic malignancies (10). The first hypothesis states that enhanced uptake of selenium by the neoplastic tissue might be responsible for depleting the trace element content in the blood and other tissues.…”