Severe infections during maintenance chemotherapy of childhood Acute
Lymphoblastic Leukemia and their correlation with serum immunoglobulin
status
Abstract
Background: Few studies have looked into the impact of hypoglobulinaemia
on infectious complications in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
(ALL). We conducted this prospective study to analyse the profile of
severe infections during maintenance chemotherapy in Indian children and
their correlation with serum immunoglobulin levels. Methodology:
Children ≤14 years with ALL on maintenance chemotherapy were recruited
and serum immunoglobulin levels were measured at the time-of-recruitment
in this study conducted between 1st April 2018 and 31st March 2019.
Children were followed up for severe infection for a period of 6 months
or till completion of treatment whichever was later. Statistical
analysis was done to find out risk factors of severe infection including
serum immunoglobulin status. Results: We recruited 199 children
undergoing maintenance chemotherapy (58, 52, 47, and 42 children in 0-6,
7-12, 13-18 and 19-24 months of maintenance period) and followed them up
for a mean (SD) 9.7(2.961) months. 56.8%, 80.4%, and 86.4% children
had hypo-IgG, hypo-IgA, and hypo-IgM at the time-of-recruitment.
Ninety-one (45.7%) children developed 147 episodes of severe infections
of which 54 (59.3%) were respiratory. Univariate analysis showed
younger age, female gender and normal IgG group had significantly
increased risk of severe infection (P=0.024, 0.007, 0.049,
respectively), in multivariate analysis female gender had significantly
increased risk of severe infection (P=0.025). Conclusion: Significant
proportion of Indian children on ALL maintenance chemotherapy developed
severe infection and hypoglobulinaemia. However, hypoglobulinaemia did
not significantly increase the risk of severe infection. Younger
children and female gender had significantly increased risk of severe
infection during maintenance.