| Summary: | Over and under nutrition are associated with worse outcomes for children with leukemia and lymphoma; however, the molecular basis for this clinical observation is not well understood. Many chemotherapeutics used for leukemia treatment are known to generate oxidative stress in vitro; therefore, we evaluated redox status and diet in pediatric leukemia patients during therapy in order to ascertain relationships between nutrition and oxidative stress. Dietary intake and redox measures in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 32 pediatric leukemia and lymphoma patients were collected over six months during treatment. Baseline measures when patients were off chemotherapy and subsequent assessments were collected after one, two and six months. Oxidative stress increased over time in all patients, consistent with chemotherapy-induced redox effects. Older and younger children showed significantly different baseline levels of reactive oxygen species, which increased over time in all age ranges. Diet was assessed at points proximal to oxidative stress measurements and revealed a novel association with consumption of animal protein, vegetable protein, and total protein intake. Our findings demonstrate that chemotherapy increases oxidative stress in pediatric leukemia patients, and raises the possibility that dietary protein or altered protein metabolism could contribute to clinical outcomes.
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