Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Using Zebrafish Models of Human Influenza A Virus Infections to Screen Antiviral Drugs and Characterize Host Immune Cell Responses
09:07

Using Zebrafish Models of Human Influenza A Virus Infections to Screen Antiviral Drugs and Characterize Host Immune Cell Responses

Published on: January 20, 2017

10.7K

Antiviral therapy in hepatitis B virus-infected children with immune-tolerant characteristics: A pilot open-label

Shishu Zhu1, Hongfei Zhang1, Yi Dong1

  • 1Pediatric Liver Diseases Therapy and Research Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing 100039, China.

Journal of Hepatology
|February 17, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Antiviral therapy using sequential interferon-α and lamivudine significantly improved outcomes for children with immune-tolerant chronic hepatitis B infection, leading to higher rates of undetectable HBV DNA and HBsAg loss.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Virology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection in children, particularly the immune-tolerant phase (HBeAg positive, high viral load, normal ALT), presents a therapeutic challenge.
  • Optimal treatment strategies for immune-tolerant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in pediatric populations remain largely undefined.
  • This study addresses the unmet need for effective antiviral interventions in this specific pediatric cohort.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of antiviral therapy in children with immune-tolerant CHB.
  • To compare outcomes between children receiving sequential antiviral treatment and a control group.
  • To provide data on the benefits of interferon-α (IFN) and lamivudine (LAM) in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A pilot, open-label, randomized controlled study involving 69 treatment-naive children (1-16 years) with immune-tolerant CHB.
  • Random assignment in a 2:1 ratio to a treatment group (sequential IFN and LAM) or a control group.
  • Observation until week 96, with assessment of virological, serological, and clinical endpoints.

Main Results:

  • The treatment group showed significantly higher rates of undetectable serum HBV DNA (73.91%), HBeAg seroconversion (32.61%), and HBsAg loss (21.74%) compared to the control group.
  • No lamivudine (LAM) resistance was observed at week 96.
  • The control group had minimal spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion (4.35%) and no HBsAg clearance.

Conclusions:

  • Sequential antiviral therapy combining interferon-α (IFN) and lamivudine (LAM) is beneficial for children with immune-tolerant CHB.
  • This treatment regimen leads to significant improvements in viral suppression and serological markers.
  • The observed outcomes suggest a promising therapeutic approach for this challenging pediatric condition.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildrenChronic hepatitis BInterferonLamivudine

More Related Videos

Contact-Free Co-Culture Model for the Study of Innate Immune Cell Activation During Respiratory Virus Infection07:36

Contact-Free Co-Culture Model for the Study of Innate Immune Cell Activation During Respiratory Virus Infection

Published on: February 28, 2021

3.5K
Modeling Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Non-Hepatic 293T-NE-3NRs Cells09:02

Modeling Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Non-Hepatic 293T-NE-3NRs Cells

Published on: June 5, 2020

7.9K

Related Concept Videos

Bioequivalence Experimental Study Designs: Completely Randomized and Randomized Block Designs01:20

Bioequivalence Experimental Study Designs: Completely Randomized and Randomized Block Designs

Body:Bioequivalence experimental study designs are crucial methodologies used in evaluating and comparing the bioavailability of different drug products. These designs are categorized into various types: completely randomized, randomized block, repeated measures, cross and carry-over, and Latin square designs.Completely randomized designs involve randomly allocating treatments to all subjects participating in the experiment. This allocation is achieved by assigning unique random numbers to...
256
Pilot and Numeric Relaying01:21

Pilot and Numeric Relaying

Pilot relaying is a type of differential protection used in power systems. It compares electrical quantities at the terminals of equipment via a communication channel instead of direct relay interconnection. This method is essential for transmission lines where the terminals are far apart, typically up to 80 km for lines with 69 to 115 kV ratings. Four types of communication channels are used for pilot relaying:
496
Characteristics of Life01:23

Characteristics of Life

Biology is a natural science that studies life and living organisms, including their structure, function, development, interactions, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. The field's scope is extensive and divided into several specialized disciplines, such as anatomy, physiology, ethology, genetics, and many more. All living things share a few key traits, including cellular organization, heritable genetic material and the ability to adapt/evolve, metabolism to regulate energy needs, the...
263.5K
What is the Immune System?01:38

What is the Immune System?

Overview
133.1K
Gene Therapy00:59

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be...
27.7K
Humoral Immune Responses01:36

Humoral Immune Responses

Overview
84.2K