Taurine deficiency after intensive chemotherapy and/or radiation

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 55; no. 3; pp. 708 - 711
• Main Authors: Desai, TK, Maliakkal, J, Kinzie, JL, Ehrinpreis, MN, Luk, GD, Cejka, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.03.1992; American Society for Clinical Nutrition
• Subjects: ACIDE AMINE; Adolescent; Adult; adverse effects; AMINOACIDOS; Anemia, Aplastic; Anemia, Aplastic - therapy; Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; blood; blood plasma; Bone Marrow Transplantation; chemotherapy; Child; Child, Preschool; CISTINA; CYSTINE; deficiency; drug therapy; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; electromagnetic radiation; ENFERMEDADES CARENCIALES; Female; Humans; Leukemia; Leukemia - therapy; Lymphoma; Lymphoma - therapy; MALADIE DE CARENCE; Male; Medical sciences; METHIONINE; METIONINA; Miscellaneous (drug allergy, mutagens, teratogens...); Neuroblastoma; Neuroblastoma - therapy; nutrient deficiencies; patients; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; PLASMA SANGUIN; PLASMA SANGUINEO; RADIACIONES; RADIATION; radiation therapy; Radiotherapy; Radiotherapy - adverse effects; Taurine; Taurine - blood; Taurine - deficiency; Taurine - urine; TERAPEUTICA MEDICAMENTOSA; therapeutic use; THERAPEUTIQUE MEDICAMENTEUSE; therapy; urine; Taurine; chemotherapy; taurine deficiency; radiation therapy; Human; Toxicity; Deficiency; Leukemia; Malignant hemopathy; Malignant tumor; Radiotherapy; Essential; Blood plasma; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Aminoacid; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/55.3.708

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 µmol/L, x̄ ± SD). Plasma taurine in 11 healthy volunteer control subjects was 45.0 ± 20.3 µmol/L (P < 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 < 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.