Low socioeconomic status seems to be an important risk factor for H. pylori infection. Exclusive breast-feeding at least for 4 months can have a protective role against H. pylori infection. Increased frequency of growth retardation and IDA in H. pylori-infected patients in the present study supports similar findings in the literature, although there is still need for detailed studies to clarify the causative mechanisms.

Development of KS in pediatric liver transplant recipients is a rare entity and has dismal prognosis. Latent HHV-8 infection, immunosuppression, and genetic predisposition are possible etiological factors. Decreasing the dose or cessation of immunosuppressive drugs, switching to sirolimus with antiproliferative and antitumor properties, and different chemotherapeutic regimens are the current therapeutic strategies. We herein report a pediatric liver transplant recipient who developed generalized KS at post-transplant fifth month. The disease had an aggressive course despite the highly toxic chemotherapy. On the other hand, a prompt and durable response was provided by paclitaxel with tolerable side effects. The patient is now free of disease for at least 24 months and healthy with good graft function under sirolimus therapy as maintenance immunosuppression. Instead of highly toxic chemotherapy, paclitaxel can be used as therapeutic option in cases with generalized disease and in those who are unresponsive to conventional chemotherapy. However, new studies are needed to assess the efficacy of the paclitaxel therapy in KS in the liver transplant recipients.

To obtain more information about the natural history of compensatory renal hypertrophy beginning in childhood we traced those who were nephrectomized in childhood for Wilm's tumor (W) and hydronephrosis (Hn) between 1950 and 1978 at one department of surgery in Stockholm. All W patients had received treatment that suppresses cellular division. None of the patients were in renal failure or treated with antihypertensive drugs. All the patients in the follow-up study (22 W, 15 Hn) had a normal contralateral kidney at nephrectomy. Five healthy adults served as controls. The kidney was enlarged in both Hn (142%) and W (125%), but significantly larger in Hn than in W. Renal compensatory growth in W was retarded during the first two years after nephrectomy. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was 92% of control in Hn and 82% of control in W. The GFR did not seem to decline with a longer follow-up time in any of the groups. PAH clearance was the same in Hn and W. Albumin excretion was significantly higher in Hn than in W, but not significantly higher in W than in controls. The highest albumin excretion rates were found among the Hn patients with long follow-up time. The results suggest that the large increases in size and function that follow childhood nephrectomy can be blunted by antimitotic agents.

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Adding ribavirin to interferon treatment improved end-of-treatment response rates in children with chronic hepatitis C. Tolerance of treatment was similar to tolerance of monotherapy. However, studies of greater numbers of pediatric patients with longer follow-up periods are necessary to determine prolonged sustained response.