Observations of serum trace elements in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract

Serum trace elements (STE) were measured in 50 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and 100 normal subjects. Copper was higher in patients than in controls (1.50 +/- 0.06 versus 1.10 +/- 0.02 micrograms/ml, P less than 0.001), increased steadily from Stage 0 to Stage 4 (P = 0.002), and correlated with the lymphocyte count and serum lactate dehydrogenase (P less than 0.01) but not with acute phase reactants. Zinc was lower in patients than in controls (0.94 +/- 0.03 versus 1.10 +/- 0.02 micrograms/ml, P less than 0.001). Zinc (NS), selenium (P = 0.039), and calcium (P = 0.033), were decreased in Stages 3-4 as compared to Stages 0-2. The copper-to-zinc ratio (CZR) increased continuously from Stage 0 to Stage 4 (P less than 0.001). Discriminant analysis between two groups, Stage 0-2 and Stage 3-4, based on serum copper, zinc, calcium, and protein levels, allowed for a correct classification of 94% of the patients. Moreover, the clinical staging of the remaining 6% was modified retrospectively according to the results of discriminant analysis. It was concluded that (1) serum copper and CZR are useful indices of the extent of disease, (2) they are independent of a nonspecific acute phase reaction, (3) STE determination could be helpful in the staging of a limited number of CLL patients, and (4) zinc deficiency could contribute to immune dysfunction in CLL.

Serum selenium levels in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

“…In agreement with observations in patients with cancer and other diseases[181920] but unlike what was found in a group of patients with reticuloendothelial tumors. [21] A direct association between albumin and serum selenium levels might be explained by nutritional factors or by the fact that albumin represents a selenium-containing protein,[22] it seems appropriate to examine the possible utility of determining selenium status in the clinical evaluation of patients with lymphoid malignancies.…”

Serum selenium concentration at diagnosis and outcome in patients with haematological malignancies

“…Over half of the patients in the study with newly diagnosed AML or HL, and 26% of those with FL, had a selenium concentration that would be considered low in the UK. The low serum selenium in these patients confirmed the same observation in our previous study in aggressive B‐cell lymphomas (Last et al , 2003) and other smaller studies in CLL (Beguin et al , 1987), AML (Beguin et al , 1989) and lymphoma (Avanzini et al , 1995).…”

“…In our own study there was a significant negative correlation between white cell count and selenium concentration ( P = 0·0003) in AML patients, and selenium and disease stage in HL ( P = 0·002). Other reports have described a similar negative correlation between serum selenium and lymphocyte count in CLL (Beguin et al , 1987) peripheral blast cell count in AML (Beguin et al , 1989) and disease stage in lymphomas (Avanzini et al , 1995), suggesting that utilization of selenium by the tumour may decrease serum selenium levels and act as a surrogate for bulk of disease.…”

“…There is little published data on presentation selenium and its association with outcome in other haematological malignancies. In children with leukaemia or lymphoma, hair selenium was lower than in a healthy control group (Ozgen et al , 2007), while serum selenium was decreased in adult patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) (Beguin et al , 1986) or advanced chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) (Beguin et al , 1987). In this AML study, and in a more recent study, serum selenium normalized (Beguin et al , 1986), or increased (Asfour et al , 2009) in AML patients who achieved a complete remission.…”

Nutritional considerations in children undergoing bone marrow transplantation

“…Vitamin K de®ciency (Carlin & Walker, 1991), vitamin B 12 de®ciency (Milligan et al, 1987), thiamin de®ciency (Rovelli et al, 1990) and magnesium depletion (June et al, 1985), have all been reported to occur in adult patients following BMT. Similarly, biochemical zinc and copper de®ciencies have been reported in children with leukaemia (Beguin et al, 1985(Beguin et al, , 1987 and solid tumours (Hrgovcic et al, 1986), and also in children with thalassaemia receiving desferrioxamine (Uysal et al, 1993). Decreased intake and absorption, and increased intestinal or urinary losses were some of the mechanisms of these de®ciencies.…”