(LB02-10-24) Electrical Bioimpedance Assessment in Mexican Pediatric Patients With Hematological Malignancies

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameters of pediatric patients with hematological malignancies (HM) against a healthy reference population.

Methods: This observational-cross-sectional study included ambulatory pediatric patients (range 4.67–15.5y) with HM [i.e. leukemia (n=23), Hodking lymphoma (n=2), non-Hodking lymphoma (n=2)], under cancer treatment. Single frequency BIA (50 kHz) and height (ht) were measured before a chemotherapy session to calculate the standardized bioelectrical parameters: Resistance/ht (R/ht), Teactance/ht (Xc/ht), and Phase angle (PhA°). Comparisons against the healthy reference population is presented as the difference in Ohms (R/ht and Xc/ht) and degrees (PhA°), respectively. Student’s t-test for two groups was used and statistical significance was defined as p< 0.05.

Results: A total of 27 patients (13 female) were included, with a median age of 8.25y (IQR=10.8 y). Standardized parameters of HM patients were different when compared to the healthy reference population (R/ht=47.8 ± 99.9, p=0.002; Xc/ht=-26.2 ± 13.4, p< 0.001; PhA°=-2.79 ± 1.15, p< 0.001). All participants had lower Xc/ht and PhA° vs the reference group.

Conclusions: Lower PhA° in HM patients highlights its potential as a prognostic marker for nutritional status. Variations in R/ht and Xc/ht emphasize the possible changes in fluid distribution and cell membrane integrity. Understanding the therapeutic implications of BIA parameters in oncology patients can optimize nutritional support, direct interventions, and track changes associated with treatment.

Funding Sources: AEGL received a scholarship from the National Council of Humanities Sciences and Technologies (CONAHCyT). This research project is supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), contract no. 23649.