American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 55, 708-711, Copyright © 1992 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Taurine deficiency after intensive chemotherapy and/or radiation

TK Desai, J Maliakkal, JL Kinzie, MN Ehrinpreis, GD Luk and J Cejka
Department of Medicine, Harper Hospital, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.

Taurine, a nonessential amino acid (AA), is the most abundant free AA in the intracellular space. We measured plasma AA concentrations in 36 patients 7-28 d after intensive chemotherapy and/or radiation. Plasma taurine concentrations were uniformly low in all patients (20.0 +/- 6.4 mumol/L, mean +/- SD). Plasma taurine in 11 healthy volunteer control subjects was 45.0 +/- 20.3 mumol/L (P less than 0.001). Other AA concentrations, specifically those of precursor AAs methionine and cystine, were normal. We prospectively measured plasma AA concentrations in 12 patients before starting and 6-10 d after completing intensive cytotoxic treatment. Values before treatment were 37.2 +/- 11.6, 109.6 +/- 30.7, and 18.5 +/- 4.8 for taurine, cystine, and methionine, respectively, and were 24.3 +/- 6.0, 111.2 +/- 23.8, and 24.0 +/- 14.5 after treatment. Pretreatment plasma taurine correlated directly with the magnitude of decrease in plasma taurine during cytotoxic treatment (n = 12, r = 0.85, P less than 0.01). Intensive cytotoxic chemotherapy and/or radiation leads to a reduction in plasma taurine concentrations without any change in its precursor AAs, methionine and cystine. The clinical relevance of plasma taurine depletion will need further study.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. M. Wallace Integrative Tumor Board: Glioblastoma Multiforme: Nutritional and Botanical Approach Integr Cancer Ther, June 1, 2004; 3(2): 152 - 163. [PDF]

				P. Furst and P. Stehle What Are the Essential Elements Needed for the Determination of Amino Acid Requirements in Humans? J. Nutr., June 1, 2004; 134(6): 1558S - 1565S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Fürst Old and New Substrates in Clinical Nutrition J. Nutr., May 1, 1998; 128(5): 789 - 796. [Full Text]