Abstract
We investigated 332 children with malignancy who were admitted to our University Hospital from 1966 to 1985 and examined the annual changes in the main cause of death in 64 autopsied children with leukemia. It was found that, recently, infection has been the most important factor and the main cause, but the increase in fungal infection is also drastic. Considering this situation, we introduced an oral combined administration of high-dose amphotericin B syrup and trimethoprim-sulfa-methoxazole for the prophylaxis of infections at the time of remission induction, and this regimen was found to be effective for protection against bacterial and mycotic infection in children whose neutropenia was in the range of 1000/μl to 100/μ1. We also studied the effects of the nutritional condition on the immunological function of children with leukemia undergoing intensive chemotherapy. We found that the concentration of total serum protein tends to decrease after the induction therapy, and there were decreases of albumin, prealbumin, and transferrin, in particular. The changes were in accordance with the decrease in immunoglobulin. Lentinan, the immunomodulator, was intravenously administered every 2 weeks to the children to whom intensification chemotherapy was repeatedly given, and changes in the subpopulation of peripheral lymphocytes were followed. Restorations of PHA responsiveness and a population of killer T cells were found in children receiving Lentinan.
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Akatsuka, Ji. et al. (1991). Varied Problems Associated with Immunocompromised Hosts. In: Kobayashi, N., Akera, T., Mizutani, S. (eds) Childhood Leukemia: Present Problems and Future Prospects. Developments in Oncology, vol 65. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3898-1_22
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3898-1_22
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