http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/101520874/START
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| Article Abstract |
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Online ISSN: 1096-911X Print ISSN: 0098-1532 Copyright © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
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Increased risk of chronic hepatitis in
children with cancer |
| Betül Sevinir, MD 1 *, Adalet Meral, MD 2, Ünsal Günay, MD 3, Tanju Özkan, MD 4, Sema Özuysal, MD 5, Melda Sinirtas, MD 6 |
1Department of Pediatric Oncology,
Uluda University, Faculty
of Medicine, Görükle, Bursa, Turkey2Department of Pediatric Hematology, Uluda
University, Faculty of Medicine, Görükle, Bursa, Turkey3Department of Pediatric Hematology, Uluda
University, Faculty of Medicine, Görükle, Bursa, Turkey4Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Uluda University, Faculty
of Medicine, Görükle, Bursa, Turkey5Department of Pathology, Uluda
University, Faculty of Medicine, Görükle, Bursa, Turkey6Department of Microbiology-Infectious Disease, Uluda
University, Faculty of Medicine, Görükle, Bursa, Turkey |
| email: Betül Sevinir (adaletm@uludag.edu.tr) |
*Correspondence to Betül Sevinir, Uluda
University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Görükle,
Bursa, 16059, Turkey.
Betül Sevinir is Pediatric
Oncologist, Adalet Meral, Pediatric Hematologist, Ünsal Günay, Professor of
Pediatric Hematology, Tanju Özkan, Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Sema Özuysal,
Pathologist, and Melda Sinirta
Microbiologist.
| Keywords |
| hepatitis B • hepatitis C • chronic hepatitis • childhood cancer |
| Abstract |
Background |
| There is a risk of viral hepatitis for children with cancer. Both hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in countries with high prevalence cause major problems in the management of cancer patients. In this study, we evaluated the incidence and chronicity of HBV and HCV infections in children with malignant diseases receiving chemotherapy. |
Procedure |
| One hundred ninety-eight children with cancer (mean age = 7.5 ± 2.5 years) and 100 healthy children as a control group were screened for HBV and HCV. Liver function tests, the number of transfusions, HBV and HCV serology were regularly monitored. In seropositive children, HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA were measured. Chronic hepatitis was defined as having an alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level three times of upper normal limit, positive HBV and HCV antigenemia for longer than 6 months. Liver biopsies were performed in all children with chronic hepatitis. The relationship between the chronic hepatitis and study parameters was statistically analyzed. |
Results |
| HBsAg positivity, anti-HCV, and mixed (HBV and HCV) infection were found in 11.6, 5.5, 2% of children, respectively. Most HBV infected children developed chronic hepatitis (48%) while 26 and 21.7% became carriers and immune, respectively. One died of acute fulminant HBV hepatitis. Of HCV infected children, 63.6% also had positive HCV-RNA. Four children with mixed infection (100%) all progressed to chronic hepatitis. In this setting, chronic hepatitis was observed in 22 of 38 infected children (57.8%). The majority had leukemia and lymphoma. Children with HBsAg antigenemia developed chronic hepatitis in shorter time than HCV positive children (median 13 months vs. 51 months, P < 0.001). |
Conclusion |
| We observed an increased incidence of chronic hepatitis and even mortality due to HBV infection. This suggests that HBV and HCV infections are serious causes of morbidity and mortality in children with cancer. Med Pediatr Oncol 2003;40:104-110. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
Received: 24 February 2000; Accepted: 11 December 2001
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) |
10.1002/mpo.10090 About
DOI
| References are available in the Enhanced Abstract |
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