PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of the primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) hepatitis with elevation of both serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GT) levels in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was performed by reviewing of the medical records of 36 patients who were diagnosed with primary EBV hepatitis. The patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with elevated serum ALP and gamma-GT levels (group 1) and patients without (group 2). RESULTS: The classic features of infectious mononucleosis (fever, pharyngitis and/or tonsillitis, and cervical lymphadenitis) were seen in 20 (57.1%) of group 1 patients and 18 (50.0%) of group 2 patients. Hepatitis with elevated serum ALP and gamma-GT levels were present in 14 (38.9%) of the all patients. Of these patients, Jaundice occurred in only 2 (5.6%). The mean levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) as well as the number of patients with ALT greater than 400 IU/L were significantly different between the groups (177 IU/L vs. 94 IU/L, 418 IU/L vs. 115 IU/L, and 50.0% vs. 13.6%; p=0.001, p=0.001, p=0.026, respectively). The mean duration of elevated serum ALT levels was 17.5 days in group 1 and 9.0 days in group 2 (p=0.013). All patients recovered fully without any chronic or serious complications. CONCLUSION: Primary EBV hepatitis with predominant biochemical abnormalities of the elevation of ALP and gamma-GT is frequent and mostly anicteric. This may represent a benign disease, but a delay in recovery of liver function as well.
Alkaline Phosphatase/genetics/*metabolism ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hepatitis/*enzymology/*pathology/virology ; Herpesvirus 4, Human/*pathogenicity ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase/genetics/*metabolism

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Female ; Ovary

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide (ICE) regimen in children with recurrent/refractory solid tumors. METHODS: The medical records of 7 patients diagnosed with recurrent/refractory solid tumors, including osteosarcoma in 2 patients, rhabdomyosarcoma in 2, neuroblastoma in 2 and medulloblastoma in one, and followed at Hanyang University Hospital from January, 1995 until May, 2001, were reviewed. The hematological toxicities above grade III, non-hematological toxicities above grade II, and response rate [complete response (CR) partial response (PR)] after several courses of ifosfamide 1,800 mg/m2/day (day 0 through 4 each cycle), carboplatin 400 mg/m2/day (day 0, 1), etoposide 100 mg/m2/day (day 0 through 4 each cycle) were evaluated. RESULTS: The incidences of hematological toxicities above grade III and non-hematological toxicities above grade II were 89% and 18%, respectively over the total 56 courses of ICE plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF: 5.0mug/kg/day). Median time from the start of ICE chemotherapy to absolute neutrophil count (ANC) > or =1,000/mm3 for all patients during the total courses was 15 days. Seven patients evaluated for response to ICE. The overall response rate (CR PR) in this study was 57%. The CR rate for all diagnostic categories was 43%. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that myelosuppression was the major toxicity of ICE chemotherapy and non-hematological toxicity was 20% of hematological toxicity except nausea and vomiting. The combination of ICE chemotherapy was associated with a high CR rate (43%) in children with recurrent/refractory solid tumors.
Carboplatin* ; Child* ; Drug Therapy ; Etoposide* ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Humans ; Ice ; Ifosfamide* ; Incidence ; Medical Records ; Medulloblastoma ; Nausea ; Neuroblastoma ; Neutrophils ; Osteosarcoma ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Vomiting