title: Abnormal serum phenylalanine-tyrosine ratio and hyperferritinemia in malignant histiocytosis.
abstract: Nine cases of childhood malignant histiocytosis (MH) showed an abnormally high serum phenylalanine (Phe)/tyrosine (Tyr) ratio (3.47 +/- 1.32) coincident with hyperferritinemia (50,800 +/- 33,600 ng/ml). Lactate dehydrogenase activity was also increased in these patients. These values were compared with data on sera from two groups of patients, acute leukemia cases (n = 14) and measles cases (n = 13), and with control values from normal healthy children (n = 38). The Phe/Tyr ratio was 1.57 +/- 0.54 for the acute leukemia (p less than 0.01) and 2.58 +/- 1.46 for the measles cases (NS), serum ferritin was 245 +/- 124 ng/ml for acute leukemia (p less than 0.01) and 167 +/- 117 ng/ml for measles (p less than 0.01). Accordingly, the concurrence of both abnormalities is considered to be characteristic for MH. It was also found that both serum Phe/Tyr ratio and ferritin levels reflect the disease activity, indicating that these two factors are useful prognostic indicators in the treatment of patients with MH.
authors.affiliation: Children's Research Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imashuku
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morioka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kodo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Esumi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hibi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Todo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D054747:Histiocytic Sarcoma / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000097:blood; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000097:blood*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood; D011621:Pteridines / Q000652:urine; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D011621:Pteridines; D014443:Tyrosine; D010649:Phenylalanine; D005293:Ferritins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase