Asparaginase-induced acute pancreatitis in children: unveiling predictive biomarkers for precision care

Authors

  • Evelin Cristine Mendonça de Senna Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil , Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
  • Klerize Anecely de Souza Silva Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil , Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
  • Ciliana Rechenmacher Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil , Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
  • Lucas Rotella Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil
  • Daiane Keller Ceconello Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil , Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
  • Andre Salim Khayat Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3451-6369
  • Alayde Vieira Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil
  • Mariana Bohns Michalowski Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil , Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9482-0776
  • Liane Esteves Daudt Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil , Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9495-6932

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/s2175-97902025e24121

Keywords:

Asparaginase, Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Pancreatitis, Genetic factors

Abstract

Asparaginase (ASN) is a crucial drug in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, it is associated with an important and unique toxicity profile compared to other types of chemotherapy. One of the most relevant toxicities is acute pancreatitis. Although it is frequently a reversible process, its severity may contraindicate the continued use of ASN, delay the entire chemotherapy regimen, and impact overall survival. So far, the pathophysiological mechanism that gives rise to this complication is not well defined. At the same time, some risk factors are being studied, mainly pharmacogenetic markers. This review will outline what is currently known about the main genetic polymorphisms associated with the risk of acute pancreatitis related to the use of asparaginase.

 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abaji R, Krajinovic M. Pharmacogenetics of asparaginase in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Drug Resist. 2019;2(2):242-55.

Ahlers KE, Chakravarti B, Fisher RA. RGS6 as a Novel Therapeutic Target in CNS Diseases and Cancer. AAPS J. 2016;3:560-72.

Asselin B, Rizzari C. Asparaginase pharmacokinetics and implications of therapeutic drug monitoring. Leuk Lymphoma. 2015;5(8):2273-80.

Avramis VI, Sencer S, Periclou AP, Sather H, Bostrom BC, Cohen LJ, et al. A randomized comparison of native Escherichia coli asparaginase and polyethylene glycol conjugated asparaginase for treatment of children with newly diagnosed standard-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a Children's Cancer Group study. Blood. 2002;99(6):1986-94.

Banks PA, Bollen TL, Dervenis C, Gooszen HG, Johnson CD, Sarr MG,et al. Classification of acute pancreatitis--2012: revision of the Atlanta classification and definitions by international consensus. Gut. 2013;62(1):102-11.

Barry E, DeAngelo DJ, Neuberg D, Stevenson K, Loh ML, Asselin BL, et al. Favorable outcome for adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated on Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Consortium Protocols. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(7):813-19.

Chaikuad A, Koschade SE, Stolz A, Zivkovic K, Pohl C, Shaid S, et al. Conservation of structure, function and inhibitor binding in UNC-51-like kinase 1 and 2 (ULK1/2). Biochem J. 2019;476(5): 875-87.

Derikx MH, Kovacs P, Scholz M, Masson E, Chen JM, Ruffert C, et al. Polymorphisms at PRSS1-PRSS2 and CLDN2-MORC4 loci associated with alcoholic and non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis in a European replication study. Gut. 2015;64(9):1426-33.

Du X, Liu Z, Jia X, Wen Y, Tang Y, Xu X, et al. Clinical analysis of asparaginase-associated pancreatitis in children. Pancreatology. 2022;22(6):706-712.

Felipe-Abrio B,Carnero A. The Tumor Suppressor Roles of MYBBP1A, a Major Contributor to Metabolism Plasticity and Stemness. Cancers. 2020;12(1):254.

Gardner TB, Vege SS, Chari ST, Petersen BT, Topazian MD, Clain JE,et al. Faster Rate of Initial Fluid Resuscitation in Severe Acute Pancreatitis Diminishes In-Hospital Mortality. Pancreatology. 2009;6:770–76.

George B, Horn D, Bayo P, Zaoui K, Flechtenmacher C, Grabe N, et al. Regulation and function of Mybbinding protein 1A (MYBBP1A) in cellular senescence and pathogenesis of head and neck cancer. Cancer Letters. 2014; 358(2):191–99.

Giri AK, Midha S, Banerjee P, Agrawal A, Mehdi SJ, Dhingra R,et al. Common Variants in CLDN2 and MORC4 Genes Confer Disease Susceptibility in Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis. PLoS One.2016;11(1):e0147345.

Jiang N, Xue R, Bu F, Tong X, Qiang J, Liu R. Decreased RGS6 expression is associated with poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2014;7(7):4120-27.

John Clotaire DZ, Zhang B, Wei N, Gao R, Zhao F, Wang Y, et al. MiR-26b inhibits autophagy by targeting ULK2 in prostate cancer cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2016;472(1):194-200.

Hijiya N, Van der Sluis I. Asparaginase-associated toxicity in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma. 2016;57(4):748-57.

Huang H, Liu Y, Daniluk J, Gaiser S, Chu J, Wang H, et al. Activation of nuclear factor-κB in acinar cells increases the severity of pancreatitis in mice. Gastroenterology. 2013;144(1):202-10.

Hunger SP, Lu X, Devidas M, Camitta BM, Gaynon PS, Winick NJ,et al. Improved survival for children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia between 1990 and 2005: a report from the Children's Oncology Group. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(14):1663-69.

Kearney SL, Dahlberg SE, Levy DE, Voss SD, Sallan SE, Silverman LB. . Clinical course and outcome in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and asparaginase-associated pancreatitis. Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 2009;53:162 –67.

Knoderer HM, Robarge J, Flockhart DA. Predicting asparaginase‐associated pancreatitis. Pediatric Blood Cancer. 2007;49(5):634-39.

Liu C, Yang W, Devidas M, Cheng C, Pei D, Smith C,et al. Clinical and genetic risk factors for acute pancreatitis in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34(18):2133-40.

Lund B, Wesolowska-Andersen A, Lausen B, Borst L, Rasmussen KK, Müller K,et al. Host genome variations and risk of infections during induction treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Eur J Haematol. 2014;92(4):321-330.

Mehandziska S, Stajkovska A, Stavrevska M, Jakovleva K, Janevska M, Rosalia R, et al. Workflow for the implementation of precision genomics in healthcare. Front Genet. 2020;11:619.

Nakano E, Geisz A, Masamune A, Niihori T, Hamada S, Kume K, et al. Variants in pancreatic carboxypeptidase genes CPA2 and CPB1 are not associated with chronic pancreatitis. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2015;309(8):6888-94.

National Library of Medicine (NIH). Available in: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene?Db=gene&Cmd=DetailsSearch&Term=1358#reference-sequences . Accessed at: 2022.

Nielsen RL, Wolthers BO, Helenius M, Albertsen BK, Clemmensen L, Nielsen K, et al. Can Machine Learning Models Predict Asparaginase-associated Pancreatitis in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2022;44(3):628–36.

Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, Boutron I, Hoffmann TC, Mulrow CD, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ. 2021;10(1):372.

Petrov MS, Kukosh MV, Emelyanov NV. A randomized controlled trial of enteral versus parenteral feeding in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis shows a significant reduction in mortality and in infected pancreatic complications with total enteral nutrition. Dig Surg. 2006;23(5-6):336-44.

Pieters R, Hunger S, Boos J, Rizarri C, Silverman L, Baruchel A, et al. L‐asparaginase treatment in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a focus on Erwinia asparaginase. Cancer. 2011;117(2):238-49.

Pui C. Recent research advances in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Formos Med Assoc. 2010;109(11):777-87.

Raja R, Schmiegelow K, Frandsen T. Asparaginaseassociated pancreatitis in children. Br J Haematol. 2012;159(1):18-27.

Saito N, Suzuki M, Sakurai Y, Nakano S, Naritaka N, Minowa K, et al. Genetic analysis of Japanese children with acute recurrent and chronic pancreatitis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2016;63(4):431-36.

Samarasinghe S, Dhir S, Slack J, Iyer P, Wade R, Clack R, et al. Incidence and outcome of pancreatitis in children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treated on a contemporary protocol, UKALL 2003. Br J Haematol. 2013;162(5):710-13.

Schmidt MP, Ivanov AV, Coriu D, Miron IC. L-Asparaginase toxicity in the treatment of children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Clin Med. 2021;10(16):4419.

Schmiegelow K, Forestier E, Hellebostad M, Heyman M, Kristinsson J, Soderhal S, et al. Long-terms results of NOPHO ALL-92 and ALL-2000 studies of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia. 2010; 24(2):345-54.

Shah S. Common terminology criteria for adverse events. National Cancer Institute: USA; 784 (2022): 785 .Avaiable at: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/common-terminology-criteria-for-adverse-events .

Silverman L, Gelber R, Dalton V, Asselin B, Barr R, Clavell L, et al. Improved outcome for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: results of Dana-Farber Consortium Protocol 91-01. Blood. 2001;97(5):1211-18.

Stock W, Douer D, DeAngelo DJ, Arellano M, Advani A, Damon L,et al. Prevention and management of asparaginase/peg asparaginase-associated toxicities in adults and older adolescents: recommendations of an expert panel. Leukemia and Lymphoma. 2011;52(12):2237-53.

Szabó A, Pilsak C, Bence M, Witt H, Sahin-Tóth M. Complex Formation of Human Proelastases with Procarboxypeptidases A1 and A2. J Biol Chem. 2016;291(34):17706-16.

Treepongkaruna S, Thongpak N, Pakakasama S, Pienvichit P, Sirachainan N, Hongeng S. Acute pancreatitis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia after chemotherapy. J Pediatr Hematol/Oncol. 2009;31(11):812–15.

Vrooman LM, Supko JG, Neuberg DS, Asselin BL, Athale UH, Clavell L,et al. Erwinia asparaginase after allergy to E. coli asparaginase in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Pediatric Blood Cancer. 2010;54(2):199-205.

Wang J, Cheng S, Hu L, Huang T, Huang Z, Hu S. Association of asparaginase-associated pancreatitis and ULK2 gene polymorphism. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2020;13(3):347-56.

Wolthers B, Frandsen T, Abrahamsson J, Albertsen B, Helt L, Heyman M, et al. Asparaginase-associated pancreatitis: a study on phenotype and genotype in the NOPHO ALL2008 protocol. Leukemia. 2017;31(2):325-32.

Wolthers BO, Frandsen TL, Patel CJ, Abaji R, Attarbaschi A, Barzilai S. Trypsin-encoding PRSS1-PRSS2 variations infl uence the risk of asparaginase-associated pancreatitis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a Ponte di Legno toxicity working group report. Haematologica. 2019;104(3):556-63.

Wu XM, Ji KQ, Wang HY, Li GF, Zang B, Chen WM. Total enteral nutrition in prevention of pancreatic necrotic infection in severe acute pancreatitis. Pancreas. 2010;39(2):248-51.

Downloads

Published

2025-11-10

Data Availability Statement

Declaração ausente.

Issue

Section

Article

How to Cite

Asparaginase-induced acute pancreatitis in children: unveiling predictive biomarkers for precision care. (2025). Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 61, e24121. https://doi.org/10.1590/s2175-97902025e24121