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Treatment of hepatitis C in children

Paloma Jara1, Loreto Hierro

  • 1Servicio de Hepatología, Hospital Infantil Universitario La Paz, Paseo Castellana 261, 28046 Madrid, Spain. pjara.hulp@salud.madrid.org

Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
|February 9, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis C treatment in children shows promising results. Combined therapy with pegylated-IFN-alpha 2b and ribavirin effectively resolves chronic infection in over 90% of genotype 2 or 3 patients.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Virology

Background:

  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection poses a significant risk to children born to infected mothers, with 80% developing chronic infections.
  • While most pediatric cases remain asymptomatic, chronic HCV can lead to severe liver disease over time.
  • Current therapeutic options are generally safe for healthy children, with recent approvals for specific combination therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined pegylated-IFN-alpha 2b plus ribavirin for treating chronic Hepatitis C in children.
  • To determine treatment response rates across different HCV genotypes in the pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • Review of pilot trials and international studies involving pediatric patients treated with combined pegylated-IFN-alpha 2b and ribavirin.
  • Analysis of treatment outcomes based on Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes.

Main Results:

  • The combination therapy demonstrated high efficacy, with response rates exceeding 90% in patients with HCV genotypes 2 or 3.
  • Patients with HCV genotype 1 showed a response rate of approximately 50%.
  • The treatment is approved for children over 3 years of age, with precautions to avoid severe side effects.

Conclusions:

  • Combined pegylated-IFN-alpha 2b and ribavirin is an effective treatment for chronic Hepatitis C in children.
  • Treatment offers a high likelihood of resolving chronic infection, particularly in genotypes 2 and 3.
  • This therapeutic approach represents a significant advancement in managing pediatric Hepatitis C.

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