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Treatment of viral hepatitis in children

Solange Heller1, Pedro Valencia-Mayoral

  • 1Departamento de Gastroenterología y Nutrición, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico. solangeheller@hotmail.com

Archives of Medical Research
|July 7, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis B and C cause chronic liver disease in children, with current treatments showing promise but necessitating new therapies to combat viral replication and mutations. Continued efforts in hepatitis B vaccination are crucial for global prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Hepatitis B (HB) and hepatitis C (HC) are significant causes of chronic liver disease in pediatric populations, potentially leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
  • Chronic infection rates are high for both viruses, with hepatitis B posing a 90% risk in neonates versus <5% in adults, and hepatitis C infecting at least 85% of individuals.
  • While liver damage from HBV and HCV may be less severe in children than adults, effective long-term management remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current and emerging therapeutic strategies for chronic hepatitis B and C in children and adolescents.
  • To highlight the limitations of existing treatments, including drug resistance.
  • To emphasize the importance of vaccination and public health initiatives in controlling viral hepatitis transmission.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of pediatric treatment options for hepatitis B and C.
  • Analysis of current therapeutic regimens, including lamivudine, interferon, ribavirin, and pegylated interferon.
  • Discussion of challenges such as drug resistance and treatment costs.

Main Results:

  • Lamivudine and combination therapy with interferon and lamivudine are current options for pediatric hepatitis B, though they can lead to drug-resistant mutations.
  • Interferon and ribavirin therapy shows positive results in children and adolescents with hepatitis C.
  • Pegylated interferon shows potential for improved therapeutic responses in pediatric populations.

Conclusions:

  • Newer therapies are needed to improve viral replication control and reduce mutation emergence in pediatric hepatitis B treatment.
  • Interferon-based therapies, including pegylated interferon, offer promising results for managing chronic viral hepatitis in pediatric patients.
  • High treatment costs necessitate continued global efforts to expand hepatitis B vaccination to prevent vertical and horizontal transmission of hepatitis C.

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