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| SPECIALIST ANSWERS
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Question |
Is there a relationship between zinc level and childhood leukemia (ALL)? Is it higher or lower in leukemic chidren & does treatment affect the level of serum zinc?
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Answer |
It has been noted that leukemic cells contain much less zinc than normal lymphocytes which may be very important since zinc is vital for proper genetic and cellular function. Zinc metabolism deviations have been recognized in leukemia since 1949, but not well understood, although zinc was used in the early 1950s as a therapeutic drug in the treatment of leukemia. Zinc may function therapeutically in leukemia by augmenting L-asparaginase in killing leukemic cells (since a zinc deficiency may induce free asparagine), and by stimulating cell mediated immunity.
Ref:Medical Hypotheses. 2005;64:1124-1126
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