Body Mass Index (BMI) and Infectious/Febrile Episodes in Children with Intermediate Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (IR ALL)

Abstract

The incidence of treatment related mortality in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is reported to be between 2% and 4% with infections being the leading cause.

Aim: To establish a relationship between body mass index at diagnosis (BMI 0), after protocol I therapy completion (BMI I) and the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of infectious/febrile episodes in children with ALL intermediate risk.

Methods: Thirty one consecutive patients (2–18 years old, with a male to female ratio of 19/12) with newly diagnosed ALL that were treated uniformly according to ALL IC 2009 protocol were included in this analysis.

Results: A BMI decrease of at least 5% during protocol I therapy and BMI 1 under 15th percentile score corresponds significantly with higher IRR (with P-values 0.04 and 0.006 respectively) during the whole intensive therapy.

Conclusion: Some relationships between BMI reduction and higher IRR in ALL patients were found, but their significance is limited by the size of the group analyzed.

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by funds of the University of Rzeszow, Faculty of Medicine. This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors