0000000000350323
AUTHOR
Lucia Zancan
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…
Management of chronic hepatitis C in childhood: The impact of therapy in the clinical practice during the first 2 decades
Background and aim: Treatment of chronic hepatitis C in children is controversial and its role in the clinical practice is unknown. We retrospectively investigated the impact of treatment in a large cohort of children with chronic hepatitis C over the past 20years. Methods: 376 hepatitis C virus RNApositive children were recruited consecutively in five Italian centres since 1990and followed for1–17years. Results: 86 (23%)subjects were treated: 73 with recombinant interferon alone and 13 with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin. Sustained clearance of hepatitis C virus RNA was observed in 25%of the former, in 92%of the latter and in 9% of untreated cases(p < 0.001). Loss of viraemia was re…
High sustained virologic response rates in children with chronic hepatitis C receiving peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin
Pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alfa-2b plus ribavirin (RBV) is the standard of care for adults with chronic hepatitis C but was not approved for the treatment of children at the time of this study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PEG-IFN alfa-2b plus RBV in children.Children and adolescents ages 3-17 years were treated with PEG-IFN alfa-2b (60microg/m(2)/week) plus RBV (15mg/kg/day). The duration of therapy was 24 weeks for genotype (G) 2 and G3 patients with low viral load (600,000IU/ml) and 48 weeks for G1, G4, and G3 with high viral load (or=600,000IU/ml). The primary end point was sustained virologic response (SVR), defined as undetectable hepatitis C vi…