AUTHOR=Barbosa-Cortes Lourdes , Atilano-Miguel Salvador , Martin-Trejo Jorge Alfonso , Jiménez-Aguayo Emmanuel , Martínez-Becerril Fabian Ismael , López-Alarcón Mardia , Mejía Aranguré Juan Manuel , Maldonado-Hernández Jorge , Delgadillo-Portillo Suyly , Guzmán-Castro Brenda , Delgadillo-Portillo Jazmín , Añoveros-Barrera Ana , Solis-Labastida Karina Anastacia , Bautista-Martinez Benito Alejandro , Juárez-Moya Azalia , Hernández-Piñón Zaira , Espinoza Hernández Laura Eugenia , Núñez-Villegas Nora N. , Jiménez-Hernández Elva , Pérez-Casillas Ruy X. 

TITLE=Effect of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on cardiometabolic factors in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia undergoing treatment: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2023.1120364

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2023.1120364

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=Increased triglycerides (TGs) are a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, hypertriglyceridemia is commonly associated with a reduction of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and an increase in atherogenic small-dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) levels. Studies provide support that polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (ω3-LCPUFAs) are cardioprotective and have antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory effects. The potential effects of ω3-LCPUFAs on cardiometabolic factors and anti-inflammatory actions in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are limited. This is a secondary analysis of a previous clinical trial registered at clinical trials.gov (# NCT01051154) that was conducted to analyze the effect of ω3-LCPUFAs in pediatric patients with ALL who were receiving treatment. Objective: To examine the effect of supplementation with ω3-LCPUFAs on cardiometabolic factors in children with ALL undergoing treatment. Intervention: Thirty-four children (placebo group: 20 patients; ω3-LCPUFAs group: 14 patients) aged 6.7 ± 2.7 years who were newly diagnosed with ALL were evaluated. Children were randomized to receive either ω3-LCPUFAs or placebo capsules (sunflower oil). ω3-LCPUFAs were administered in the form of 500-mg soft capsules. The ω3-LCPUFA capsules contained 225 mg of DHA, 45 mg of EPA, and 20 mg of another ω3-LCPUFAs. The omega-3 dose was administered at a rate of 0.100 g/kg of body weight/day for three months. Main outcomes: Fasting cholesterol, HDL-C, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL-C), TGs, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), android/gynoid ratio (A/GR), IL-6, TNF-α, and percentage of fat mass (DXA) were measured in all patients. Fatty acid analyses in red blood cells were performed with gas chromatography.
Results: We found significantly lower levels of TGs (p=0.043), VLDL-C (p=0.039), IL-6 (p=0.025), and AIP (p=0.042) in the ω3-LCPUFAs group than in the placebo group at three months. In contrast, the total cholesterol concentration was higher at 3 months in the ω3-LCPUFAs group than in the placebo group (155 mg/dl vs. 129 mg/dl, p=0.009). The number of children with hypertriglyceridemia (85% vs. 50%; p=0.054) tended to be lower between the time of diagnosis and after 3 months of supplementation with ω3-LCPUFAs.
Conclusion: These findings support the use of ω3-LCPUFAs to reduce some adverse cardiometabolic and inflammatory risk factors in children with ALL.