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American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, No. 1, 70-74, January 2006
© 2006 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION

Body composition in children in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukemia1,2,3

Alexia J Murphy, Jonathan CK Wells, Jane E Williams, Mary S Fewtrell, Peter SW Davies and David K Webb

1 From the Children's Nutrition Research Centre, Discipline of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Queensland, Royal Children's Hospital, Herston, Australia (AJM and PSWD); and the MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre (JEW, MSF, and JCKW) and Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, Molecular Haematology Unit (DKW), Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom.

Background: Changes in body composition are commonly reported in pediatric survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, the effect of ALL and of its treatment on body composition in children in remission from ALL has not been fully examined with the use of a reference method.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the body composition and composition of fat-free mass (FFM) in children in remission from ALL. We also aimed to compare the effects that prednisolone and dexamethasone had on the body composition of an ALL survivor population.

Design: This cross-sectional study measured height, weight, body volume, total body water, and bone mineral content in 24 children in remission from ALL and 24 age-matched, healthy control subjects. Body composition and FFM composition were evaluated by using the 4-component model.

Results: The mean body mass index and fat mass index were significantly (P = 0.05 for both) higher in the ALL survivors than in age-matched control subjects. The composition of the FFM in the 2 treatment groups was not observed to differ significantly. Examination of the composition of FFM made it evident that children in remission from ALL had both significantly greater hydration (P = 0.001) and lower density (P = 0.0001) of FFM than did the control children.

Conclusions: Children in remission from ALL may develop excess body fat. To measure body composition accurately in an ALL population, the high hydration and low density of FFM in this population should be taken into consideration.

Key Words: Body composition • acute lymphoblastic leukemia • fat-free mass • 4-component model • dexamethasone • prednisolone






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