The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics 2010 , Vol 52 , Num 4
Treatment results of chronic hepatitis B in children: a retrospective study
1Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, İnönü University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, and 2Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, 3Department of Pediatrics, and 4Department of Pathology, Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey The study included 126 children (mean: 9.5±3.8 years). Normalization of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), loss of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), and development of antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe) altogether at the end of the treatment was considered as end of therapy response (ETR). Seroconversion ongoing one year after the cessation of therapy was considered as sustained response.

Of the total children, 90 (71.4%) were treated, whereas the remaining were just followed-up. High-dose interferon (IFN)-α (10 MU/m2) alone, standarddose IFN-α (6 MU/m2) plus lamivudine (4 mg/kg/d), high-dose IFN-α plus lamivudine, or lamivudine alone was used, IFN-α thrice weekly for six months, and lamivudine daily for one year. Of children who had completed their treatment, 34 (37.8%) achieved ETR. Sustained response rate was 36.7%. Response rates were different in the different treatment groups (p: 0.01). The highest response rate was observed in those who received standard-dose IFN-α plus lamivudine treatment (61.5%). Of children without treatment, one (2.8%) had anti-HBe seroconversion.

Standard-dose IFN-α plus lamivudine treatment was found superior to the other treatment modalities. Predictors of ETR were similar to those found in previous studies. Keywords : chronic hepatitis B, treatment, children.

Copyright © 2016 turkishjournalpediatrics.org