Abstract:OBJECTIVE: To detect the contents of L-asparaginase ( L-Asp)-related amino acids in ALL children receiving L-Asp treatment; and to study the relationship between changes in L-Asp contents and clinical efficacy on .ALL. METHODS: Plasma concentrations of asparagine (Asn), aspartic acid (Aspa), glutamine (Gln) and glutamic acid (Glu) in different stages of L-Asp treatment were measured by the HPLC-FLD method in 20 children with ALL (17 cases of B-ALL and 3 of T-ALL). RESULTS: The plasma Asn level after the 1st administration of L-Asp decreased significantly. With the administration of L-Asp according to the induction remission formula of A11-XH99, the Asn level remained low, even to nil level. This status remained for 7 days after cessation of L-Asp, and even 10 days in 15 cases of B-ALL, but the Asn level in all the cases of T-ALL and only 2 cases of B-ALL increased and even returned to nomal 7 days after L-Asp treatment ended. The concentration of Glu after the second and the last administrations of L-Asp increased significantly and it returned to normal on the 7th day after cessation of L-Asp, while the concentration of Aspa increased and failed to return to normal on day 10 after cessation of of L-Asp. The concentration of Gln slightly decreased during the course of treatment with L-Asp, but the difference was not significant compared with that before treatment.CONCLUSIONS: The Asn level of children with T-ALL after cessation of L-Asp recovers earier than that of children with B-ALL, indicating that it may be helpful for individualization of L-Asp administration in the treatment of ALL on the basis of the immunophenotype of children. The glutaminase activity of L-Asp does not exert effects on the treatment.
