Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 28, 2026

Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle
09:35

Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle

Published on: February 1, 2017

Profile of chronic hepatitis B virus in children in India: experience with 116 children

S K Satapathy1, S Garg, R Chauhan

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology, G.B. Pant Hospital, New Delhi, India.

Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
|July 11, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Indian children is often asymptomatic, with HBeAg positivity indicating more severe disease and higher HBV-DNA levels. Perinatal transmission is common.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Virology

Background:

  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in children is frequently asymptomatic, leading to underestimation of its disease burden.
  • Limited data exists on the characteristics of chronic HBV infection in pediatric populations from the Indian subcontinent.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the clinical, biochemical, virological, and histological profile of chronic HBV infection in children under 15 years of age.
  • To assess the correlation between Hepatitis B early antigen (HBeAg) status and disease severity.
  • To explore potential routes of HBV transmission in this cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 116 children (<15 years) with persistent HBsAg positivity (>6 months) underwent comprehensive clinical, biochemical, virological, and histological assessments.
  • Hepatitis B early antigen (HBeAg) status, HBV-DNA levels, and liver enzyme levels (AST, ALT) were measured.
  • Histological Activity Index (HAI) and fibrosis scores were evaluated.

Main Results:

  • 21.6% of children presented with symptoms, including 12% with icterus, 7% with ascites, and 5% with gastrointestinal bleeding. Notably, 4.3% had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at presentation.
  • Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was observed in 76% of subjects.
  • HBeAg-positive children showed significantly higher HAI (84% vs. 16%) and fibrosis scores (80% vs. 20%), along with higher HBV-DNA levels (median 25.6 pg/mL vs. 0.7 pg/mL).
  • A strong positive correlation existed between AST, ALT, HBV-DNA, and histological disease severity.
  • Maternal HBV infection was evident in 74% of cases.

Conclusions:

  • The majority of children with chronic HBV infection are asymptomatic at diagnosis.
  • HBeAg-positive status is associated with more severe liver disease histologically and higher HBV-DNA viral loads.
  • Perinatal transmission is a likely primary route of infection, with nearly two-thirds of children potentially acquiring HBV infection around birth.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Detection of Low Copy Number Integrated Viral DNA Formed by In Vitro Hepatitis B Infection11:14

Detection of Low Copy Number Integrated Viral DNA Formed by In Vitro Hepatitis B Infection

Published on: November 7, 2018

Analysis of HBV-Specific CD4 T-cell Responses and Identification of HLA-DR-Restricted CD4 T-Cell Epitopes Based on a Peptide Matrix10:37

Analysis of HBV-Specific CD4 T-cell Responses and Identification of HLA-DR-Restricted CD4 T-Cell Epitopes Based on a Peptide Matrix

Published on: October 20, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Human Virome01:26

Human Virome

The human body harbors a vast and diverse viral community known as the human virome. The virome includes bacteriophages that infect bacteria, and eukaryotic viruses that infect human cells. Transient dietary and environmental viruses also contribute to this dynamic ecosystem. Estimates suggest the human body may contain on the order of 10¹³ viral particles, though abundance varies widely by body site and detection method.Comprehensive characterization of the virome has become possible only with...
Chickenpox01:20

Chickenpox

Chickenpox is an acute, highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Herpesviridae family. Its transmission occurs primarily through the inhalation of respiratory droplets or direct contact with vesicular fluid from skin lesions. The incubation period typically ranges from 10 to 21 days, during which the virus replicates and disseminates through sequential phases within the host. Although generally self-limiting in children,...
Cytomegalovirus Disease01:27

Cytomegalovirus Disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...
Hepatitis01:25

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver most commonly caused by hepatotropic viruses (A–E), though non-infectious causes such as alcohol and drugs also exist.Hepatitis AHepatitis A virus (HAV) is a non-enveloped RNA virus of the Picornaviridae family. It is primarily transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically through ingestion of contaminated food or water. After ingestion, HAV enters the bloodstream through the oropharynx or intestinal epithelium and reaches the liver. The...
Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction01:28

Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction

Viral hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver caused by infection with hepatotropic viruses, most commonly hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Despite variations in structure and transmission, all viruses mentioned infect hepatocytes and provoke immune responses that can hinder liver function. Additionally, some non-hepatotropic viruses can also lead to hepatic inflammation.Hepatitis A VirusHepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through the fecal–oral route, typically by ingestion of food...