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The effect of early treatment in children with chronic hepatitis

Corina Hartman1, Drora Berkowitz, Nurit Rimon

  • 1Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Meyer Children's Hospital of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.

Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
|September 10, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Early antiviral treatment for pediatric chronic hepatitis C (CHC) shows similar response rates for interferon alpha (IFN) monotherapy and IFN plus ribavirin (IFN+RIB) combination therapy. Shorter infection duration before treatment is key for sustained response in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Hepatology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in children often arises from treatment for pediatric malignancies.
  • Limited data exists on optimal antiviral therapy for CHC in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy of interferon alpha (IFN) monotherapy versus IFN plus ribavirin (IFN+RIB) combination therapy for CHC in children.
  • To identify factors associated with sustained virologic response in pediatric CHC patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of 20 pediatric CHC patients treated between 1995 and 2001.
  • Group 1: Seven patients received IFN monotherapy (1995-1998).
  • Group 2: Thirteen patients received IFN+RIB combination therapy (after 1998).

Main Results:

  • Sustained complete response rates were 43% for IFN monotherapy and 54% for IFN+RIB, with no statistically significant difference.
  • No significant differences in demographic or clinical characteristics between treatment groups.
  • Shorter duration of hepatitis C virus infection before treatment initiation was significantly associated with sustained response (P=0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Early initiation of antiviral therapy in children with CHC is associated with sustained response, regardless of treatment regimen.
  • Regular screening and follow-up of at-risk children can facilitate early diagnosis of CHC.
  • Prompt antiviral treatment may enhance sustained response rates in pediatric CHC.
Abstract

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