Expression of some apoptosis-controlling proteins in pediatric lymphoproliferative malignancies

The aim of this study was to determine the expression [levels] of some apoptosis-controlling proteins [Bcl-2 and soluble Fas] in children with lymphoproliferative malignancies and to find out the relation between their expression and the clinico-laboratory parameters as well as the outcome of the disease. The study included 39 children with lymphoproliferative malignancies [14 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL], 5 with Hodgkin lymphoma [HD] and 20 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL]]. Their age ranged from 0.5-14 years, they were 28 males and 11 females. Twelve apparently healthy children were included as a control group. Cases and controls were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination and certain investigations [serum levels of Bcl-2 and soluble Fas proteins and complete blood picture]. For cases only, bone marrow examination, CSF examination, immunophenotyping and radiological evaluation were done. One-year follow-up of cases was performed for the evaluation of the prognosis and the outcome of the disease. The study concluded that increased serum expression of Bcl-2 and soluble Fas can be demonstrated in children with lymphoproliferative malignancies. High serum levels of such apoptotic controlling proteins were correlated with poor prognosis in patients with HL and NHL, while no correlation was found with the prognosis in patients with ALL

Prediction of abdominal involvement in children with Hodgkin's Disease

One hundred fifty six children suffering from pathologically proven Hodgkin's disease [HD] were clinically staged using the conventional laboratory and radiological examinations during the period 1979-1988 in National Cancer Institue, Cairo. All patients were subjected to staging laporatory and splenectomy. After laparotomy 16.7% of children were upstaged and 12.8% were down staged than the original clinical stage. The positive predictive value of bipedal lymphography was 49%, while the negative predicative value was 85%. Addition of abdominal CT scanning of some patients did not improve the predictive vaslue. Splenic involvement was correlated with clinical stage, the histopathological subtype and mediastinal involvement. University analyses of the factors that may predict abdominal disease proved that these factors were in decreasing order of probability; Mediastinal involvement [0.0001], bilaterality [0.0001], splenomegaly [0.001], positive lymphangiography [0.001], systemic manifestation [0.004] and histologic subtypes [0.031]. The laterality of nodal presentation was not statistically significant. The multiple logistic regression proved that the bilaterality of nodal involvement and the histology were not independent predictor factors while the other four factors were working as independent predictors for abdominal Hodgkin's disease involvement