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Impact of chronic hepatitis B and interferon-alpha therapy on growth of children

L Comanor1, J Minor, H S Conjeevaram

  • 1Clinical Research Consultant, Palo Alto, California, USA.

Journal of Viral Hepatitis
|March 27, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Children with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) experience growth issues, even without treatment. Interferon-alpha (IFN) therapy temporarily disrupts growth, showing a U-shaped pattern in height and weight.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Hepatology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) affects children globally.
  • Interferon-alpha (IFN) is an approved treatment for CHB in pediatric populations.
  • Understanding the impact of CHB and its treatment on child development is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effects of CHB disease and IFN treatment on the growth of children.
  • To identify factors influencing growth in children with CHB.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study monitoring growth in 142 children with CHB (70 treated with IFN, 72 untreated) for at least one year.
  • Utilized regression analysis to determine growth-influencing variables.
  • Assessed height and weight percentiles and Z-scores relative to age-matched reference populations.

Main Results:

  • Children with CHB exhibited significantly lower mean baseline height (39th percentile) and weight (38th percentile) compared to reference populations.
  • In untreated children, reduced height Z-scores correlated with higher serum hepatitis B virus DNA and AST levels; weight Z-scores correlated with serum HBV DNA.
  • IFN-treated children showed a temporary 'U-shaped' growth pattern, with Z-scores decreasing at 3-6 months before recovering.

Conclusions:

  • Children with CHB experience compromised growth irrespective of IFN therapy.
  • IFN treatment for CHB in children leads to a transient disruption in growth patterns.
  • Further research may explore optimizing IFN therapy to mitigate growth impacts.

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