| Description |
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a disease from the group of malignant lymphoproliferations. The most frequently used and most effective cytostatics in its treatment are anthracycline antibiotics. However, their side effects, especially cardiotoxicity, still open the debate about their usefulness. Medicines from the anthracycline group can cause, for example, the breakdown of myofibrils, a decrease in myocardial contractility, or damage mitochondria and thereby disrupt the energy system of cells. In our study, we measured 102 individuals with ALL in remission, divided them into groups according to age and subgroups according to the time since the end of treatment (group M: 11-15 years, subgroups MA: 6-10 years, MB: 11-15 years since end of treatment; group A: 16-23 years, subgroups AA, AB - same time as for M and AC: 16-20 years from end of treatment). During a spiroergometric examination (Ergoselect 100/200 device), we measured exercise tolerance (ET), metabolic equivalent (MET) and oxygen consumption at peak workload (pVO2). During echocardiography (ECHO device, Nemio XG, TOSHIBA, Japan), we evaluated parameters related to the systolic and diastolic function of the heart. In spiroergometry, we did not show any significant differences compared to healthy respondents, but the values were at the lower limit of the physiological range. In echocardiography, we found a significant difference in the E/E' ratio and a significant difference in systolic volumes (SV). There was no significant correlation between anthracycline dosage and ECHO examination parameters in the main groups. Even though these are differences at the subclinical level, it can be concluded that the treatment of ALL with anthracyclines has a negative effect on the function of the cardiovascular system, both in its resting phase and in the stress phase.
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