• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2019

Background: High doses of methotrexate (MTX) are often used in various chemotherapy protocols to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in children, but its delayed elimination increases the occurrence of adverse events, such as bone marrow suppression. The aim of this study was to investigate the elimination of MTX at 24 and 48 hours. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed electronic medical records of ALL or NHL pediatric patients who received $5g/m^2$ MTX infusion over 24 hours (between June, 2012 and July, 2018) at the Yonsei University Health System, Korea. The delayed elimination of MTX concentrations was assessed with 100 or $150{\mu}M$ MTX at 24 hours, and 2 or $5{\mu}M$ at 48 hours. Results: Among the 85 MTX cycles administered, 23 cycles were classified in delayed elimination group, and 62 cycles showed normal elimination. At 24 hours, the delayed elimination group with MTX concentration > $100{\mu}M$ showed higher percentage than group with MTX concentration < $100{\mu}M$ (45.8% vs. 19.7%, p = 0.015). However, no differences were observed at $150{\mu}M$ MTX (p = 0.66). At 48 hours, the delayed elimination was higher than the normal elimination at both concentration baselines (p < 0.001 at $2{\mu}M$, p = 0.024 at $5{\mu}M$). Conclusions: MTX concentrations greater than $100{\mu}M$ show high probability of delayed elimination at 24 hours. When MTX levels are above normal, leucovorin and hydration regimens should be continued to prevent delayed elimination.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.601-605
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• 2007

The cure rate of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children dramatically improved over past 5 decades from zero to about 80%. The main cause of improvement is owing to the development of chemotherapy by multicenter clinical trial of large study groups with the understanding of leukemia biology. Recently, pediatric ALL protocols were applied to the treatment of adolescent and even adult ALL patients. For nearly 30 years, clinical factors have been used to risk-stratify therapy for children with ALL, so that the most intensive therapies are reserved for those patients at the highest risk of relapse. The risk groups of ALL are divided as standard- (low- plus intermediate-), high- and very high-risk group according to the prognostic factors, and treatment results improved by this risk based treatment. The factors used to risk-stratify therapy include age, gender, presenting leukocyte count, immunophenotype, cytogenetic aberrations including ploidy and translocations, and initial response after 1 to 2 weeks of therapy. But treatment efficacy is the most important determinant and can abolish the clinical significance of most, if at all, prognostic factors. Today, in the era of intensive, multiagent regimens, there is increasing evidence that we have reached the limits of prognostic significance of currently applied clinical risk factors in childhood ALL. As the cure rate of ALL is about 80%, introducing new prognostic factors such as new molecular prognostic markers, new methods of assessment about minimal residual disease, and pharmacogenetic study, with the development of stem cell transplantation and molecular targeted therapy are needed to cure residual 20% of childhood ALL patients without short and long term complications.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2020

Purpose: Human parvovirus B19 infection is widespread and has a heterogeneous clinical spectrum, ranging from asymptomatic infection to potentially life-threatening complications. We investigated the various clinical features of human parvovirus B19 infection during an outbreak of the virus in our community. Methods: A retrospective chart review study was conducted at the Pusan National University Children's Hospital from December 2017 to April 2019. We investigated the clinical features of children with parvovirus B19 immunoglobulin M or parvovirus B19 DNA detected using polymerase chain reaction. Results: A total of 24 children were diagnosed with parvovirus B19 infection. Twelve (50%) had lace form rashes, and four (16.7%) had petechial rashes. Two (8.3%) were diagnosed with fever without a focus. Six (25%) developed aplastic crisis as a complication of infection, of whom three were previously diagnosed with hereditary spherocytosis and three with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Conclusions: In addition to erythema infectiosum, the parvovirus B19 infection can present clinically with various types of rashes and fever without a focus. Furthermore, hematologic manifestations such as neutropenia and aplastic crisis can occur during infection.