Screening Survivors of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia for Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Insulin Resistance

Abstract

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors were screened for risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Forty-four ALL survivors in first remission were enrolled. Twenty-six also received 12–18 Gy cranial radiotherapy (RT). Patients’ body mass indexes (BMIs) at dignosis and during the study were compared. Metabolic syndrome (MS) evaluation was performed in patients, parents, and siblings older than 6 years. Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) index of the survivors was also calculated. In survivors with impaired fasting glucose levels, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. Thyroid functions and IGF-1 and/or IGFBP-3 levels of the survivors who received cranial RT were evaluated. Median age of the survivors was 11.5 years (6–23). At diagnosis, mean BMI percentile was 46.7 (3–95) and mean z-score was −0.09 ± 1.14; during the study, these values rose to 71.1 ± 25.6 (3–100) and 0.8 ± 0.94, respectively (P < .001). One patient (2.2%) and nine survivors (20%) were obese at diagnosis and during the study, respectively (P = .005). Survivors had significantly higher BMI percentile and BMI z-score compared to their siblings (P = .006 and P = .011, respectively). The study group was small and we could not show a correlation of the patients’ obesity with RT, thyroid functions, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 levels. In three survivors (6.8%), there was MS. Maternal and paternal MS was not found as a risk factor for MS of the survivors (P = .1, P = .5, respectively). The HOMA index revealed insulin resistance (IR) in 12 (27.2%) of the survivors, whereas OGTT revealed abnormal glucose regulation and/or IR in four. As a conclusion, ALL survivors have high risk for obesity and MS.