Abstract
It has been shown that diet does not affect VMA and HVA excretion in normal children (Weetman, et al: J. Pedlat. 88:46-50, 1976) and this study was designed to determine the effect of diet on urinary excretion of VMA and HVA in children with neuroblastoma.
Four patients with neuroblastoma in full remission with no evidence of disease were studied during chemotherapy. Urinary VMA and HVA on a 24 hour specimen were determined on two separate occasions at monthly intervals in each patient while on a regular diet, on 3 days of a diet loaded with and on a diet free from foods known to interfere with VMA and HVA determinations. The mean VMA on a regular, loaded and free diet was 4.57, 4.58 and 4.4 ug/mg creatinine respectively and the HVA was 7.8, 8.0 and 9.5 ug/mg creatinine on these diets respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the values obtained for urinary VMA and HVA excretion on the three diets. There was a statistically significant difference in excretion of these metabolites in the same patient on the same diet at different periods with wider variations of readings for HVA than for VMA. All the values, however, were within normal range for age. It is concluded that different diets do not significantly alter the urinary excretion of VMA and HVA in children with neuroblastoma in remission.
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Betkerur, U., Lanzkowsky, P. & Shende, A. EFFECT OF DIET ON URINARY EXCRETION OF VMA AND HVA IN NEUROBLASTOMA. Pediatr Res 11, 467 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00585
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00585