Carnitine Levels Decrease during Oxaliplatin Infusion: A Pilot Study

The altered plasma and urinary concentrations of carnitine support our hypothesis that oxaliplatin causes increased renal excretion of carnitine, thereby lowering blood-carnitine levels and increasing urinary carnitine levels. With continued loss of carnitine over several chemotherapy cycles, this may result in the development of carnitine deficiency, which could contribute to the development of CIPN. These preliminary results provide a basis for hypothesis generation; larger longitudinal studies are required to confirm these findings and to determine the clinical relevance. .