Summary In a population-based study of 115 children with non-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, we analysed the relation of the degree of leukopenia and risk of relapse to the degree of hepatotoxicity (as measured by serum aminotransferase (AT)) during oral methotrexate (MTX) and 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) maintenance chemotherapy (MT). Hepatotoxicity was calculated as a mean of all AT-measurements (mATMT). Lack of hepatotoxicity was defined as a mATMT < 40 IU I -. A highly significant correlation was demonstrated between the mean AT during the first, second, and third year of MT (r > 0.70, P < 0.00001). mATMT was not related to the mean WBC during MT (r = -0.03, P = 0.36), but was related to the rise in WBC following cessation of therapy (r = 0.24, P = 0.06). Patients with recurrent disease had significantly lower mATMT than patients staying in remission (P = 0.03 for both over-all and haematological relapse risk (Figure 1). One hundred and twenty-eight patients completed induction and consolidation therapy. Of these, 13 were excluded from this study due to major protocol violation during induction or consolidation therapy, refusal of MT by parents, AT not measured during MT, or lack of data (3, 1, 7 and 2 patients). Thus, 115 patients (67 boys and 48 girls) were eligible for analyses, with 56 cases of standard risk (SR), 39 cases of daily for 4 days); 6MP = oral 6-mercaptopurine (75 mg m-2 day-'); MTX = oral methotrexate (20 mg m-2 week-'); M = intrathecal methotrexate (12 mg m 2); pred/p = oral prednisone (60 mg m-2 day-'); -= 6-thioguanine (60 mg m 2 day-'); | / M = 500/1,000 mg MTX 24 h infusion with leucovorin rescue; V = vincristine (2 mg m2, max. 2 mg dose-'); XXXX = CNSirradiation (2,400 cGy).