BACKGROUND: PCT has recently drawn attention as a quite specific marker for bacterial, fungal, and parasitic origin of severe sepsis-syndrome. These specific properties could make PCT to an important tool for sepsis monitoring in severely immunocompromised children. The clinical value of PCT in comparison to CrP was investigated in children after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). METHODS: PCT was measured in the serum of 48 children (median age 12.4 years) after BMT in a prospective study. Results were correlated with the clinical findings and compared to the C-reactive protein (CrP). RESULTS: PCT showed a sensitivity for diagnosing a sepsis-syndrome of 56%, a specificity of 87%, a positive predictive value of 69%, and a negative predictive value of 80%. Regarding CrP they were 100%, 41%, 46% and 100% respectively. The relative risk to die due to sepsis-syndrome was 26.4 for PCT levels over 10 ng/ml and 4.0 for CrP levels over 200 mg/l. It could be shown furthermore that there can be a significant liberation of PCT even during hematological aplasia. CONCLUSION: (1) Measuring PCT levels in the sera of children undergoing BMT improves the possibility of diagnosing severe infection and gives an important prognostic tool. (2) Measuring PCT can be recommended if severe sepsis-syndrome is suspected and there is an additional need for differential diagnosis and prognostic evaluation.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Treatment of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemias in the German Democratic Republic until 1991].

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Child↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Improved results in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia - Results of study AML-BFM-93 in East Germany with comparisons to the preceding studies AML-I-82 and AML-II-87].

BACKGROUND: Three multicenter studies were conducted in East Germany on the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia in children. The latest of the three studies (AML-BFM-93-OST) was part of the common German study AML-BFM-93. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The total number of registered patients was 262. The number and dosage of administered chemotherapeutic agents was elevated with each new study. RESULTS: Both the remission rate (85 %) and the likelihood of an event free survival (52 % after 5 years) could be improved significantly in study AML-BFM-93-OST. The results of the common German study AML-BFM-93 were identical to those of the East German part AML-BFM-93-OST. Compared with international studies it was one of the most successful treatment strategies in children with AML. Patients who showed toxic side effects to heart, liver, kidneys, skin or nervous system during the chemotherapy had a significantly lower risk of relapse, once they overcame the intensive therapy. During the five years of study AML-BFM-93-OST, treatment results could be improved despite an unchanged therapy strategy. This may partly be due to the modernisations and restorations that were carried out in many East German hospitals in this time. CONCLUSIONS: The therapy regimen of study AML-BFM-93 allowed a substantial improvement in the treatment of children with AML. Further intensification of chemotherapy should only be undertaken in accordance to the individual sensitivity of each patient.

Acute Disease↗

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[Parvovirus B 19 associated hemophagocytic syndrome in a patient with hereditary sperocytosis].

Infections with parvovirus B 19 can cause aplastic crises with a rapid decline of hemoglobin levels in patients with hereditary spherocytosis. Usually, the symptoms and signs of the actual infection are mild. We here report on an eight year old girl with hereditary spherocytosis who was admitted to hospital with high temperature, headache, impaired consciousness and a profound anemia (Hb 2.9 mmol/l). Since she also developed low leukocyte and platelet counts a hematological malignancy was suspected. The bone marrow aspirate showed only 1 % erythroblasts and macrophages with active hemophagocytosis. The serum ferritin was 1381,4 ng/ml. Both, serology and PCR revealed an active infection with parvovirus B 19. Coagulation analysis suggested a low degree of disseminated intravasal coagulation (low fibrinogen, high D-dimers). We diagnosed a parvovirus B 19 associated hemophagocytic syndrome. With only symptomatic treatment the patient's condition and laboratory findings improved during the course of a few days. In accordance with other reported cases, the prognosis of parvovirus B 19 associated hemophagocytic syndrome seems to be better than in hemophagocytic syndrome of other origin.

Child↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Results and experiences with a modified BFM protocol for treatment of recurrences in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in East German areas].

Between 1988 and 1990, 55 patients with first relapses of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were treated with a modified BFM-protocol (ALL REZ I/88). The patients were divided according to time and site of relapse: relapses with bone marrow involvement up to 6 months after stopping front line therapy (group A), relapses with bone marrow involvement beyond 6 month after therapy (group B) and isolated extramedullary relapses at any time (group C). During therapy the patients received alternating courses of polychemotherapy including infusions of intermediate dose methotrexate (1 g/m2 in 36 hours). The maintenance treatment consisted of daily oral thioguanine and biweekly intravenous (IV) MTX. The overall second remission rate was 89% (group A: 90%, group B: 86%, group C: 93%) and the probability of event free survival (EFS) at 4 years is 0.28 +/- 0.13 (group A: 0.22 +/- 0.12, group B: 0.24 +/- 0.18, group C: 0.57 +/- 0.15). We conclude, that with the treatment regimen applied, long lasting second remission can be achieved in about one third of patients even after intensive front line therapy. The most unfavourable prognoses were seen in patients with early bone marrow relapses (group A).

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Experiences with modified BFM protocols in the treatment of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in East Germany 1981-1991].

Between September and August 1991 818 previously untreated children and adolescents up to 18 years of age with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were entered into two modified BFM-protocols. Patients with B-ALL were excluded. From 1981 to 1987 524 patients were entered into the randomized multicenter study ALL VII/81 (modified ALL-BFM 81 protocol). Patients were divided into three risk groups standard (SR), medium (MR), high risk (HR) using the BFM risk factor. In a connecting study from 1988 to 1991 294 patients were registered on the stratified and randomized multicentric trial ALL VIII/87 (modified ALL-BFM 86 study). The main modification in study ALL VII/81 concerned the duration of treatment. Patients were randomized into two groups. The first group received as a late reinduction protocol III and then therapy was stopped. The second group received 6-MP and MTX for another six months. The other whole treatment strategy of ALL-BFM 81 was adopted. In protocol ALL VIII/87 the only modification was the reduction of the MTX dosage from 5 g/m2 to 1 g/m2 with an infusion time of 24 hours (leucovorin rescue 15 mg/m2 after 48 and 54 hours). The probability of the event-free-survival (EFS) for study ALL VII/81 was 59%. CNS events were significantly more frequent in standard risk patients with intermediate dose MTX (4 x 0.5 g/m2) compared with the irradiation group (18 Gy). The EFS for SR patients amounts to 61%, for MR patients to 59% and for HR patients to 36%. There was no significant difference of EFS for the two groups with different duration of therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗