0000000000350313
AUTHOR
Gabriella Nebbia
Hepatitis B virus infection in native versus immigrant or adopted children in Italy following the compulsory vaccination.
Background: Compulsory vaccination of children against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was introduced in Italy in 1991. Patients and Methods: To evaluate the current importance of pediatric HBV infection, we studied 359 HBsAg-positive children admitted to 16 centers in Italy from 1991 to 1998. 185 patients were natives of Italy and 174 (39 immigrants and 135 adopted) came from highly endemic countries (eastern Europe: 60.9%, Asia: 16.7%, Africa: 14.9% and Central and South America: 5.7%). Results: Transaminase levels were moderately altered in both Italian (mean 134 UI/l) and foreign children (mean 168 UI/l). In total, 77% of Italian children and 88% of foreign children tested HBeAg posit…
Long-term interferon-α treatment of children with chronic hepatitis delta: A multicentre study
We assessed the efficacy of prolonged interferon-alpha (IFN) therapy in children with chronic hepatitis caused by hepatitis delta virus (HDV) by treating 26 paediatric cases with IFN-alpha 2b (5 MU m-2, then 3 MU m-2 three times weekly for 12 (medium-term group MTG) or 24 months (long-term group, LTG). Compliance and tolerability were acceptable. At the end of therapy a complete biochemical response [normalization of alanine aminotransferase (ALT)] occurred in 12 children (5/13 in MTG and 7/13 in LTG). A relapse occurred after stopping IFN in 10 cases (five in MTG and five in LTG). Two patients from the LTG had normal liver function tests during 12 months of follow-up. Six of the eight hepa…