Interferon treatment in children with chronic hepatitis B

Several trials for chronic hepatitis B in children have shown the usefulness of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in eliminating hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication, by an improvement in the liver damage. Optimal doses of IFN-alpha are 10 MU/m2 of body surface, three times a week for 24 weeks. With this schedule, clearance of HBV-DNA was achieved in 58% of treated children. In nonresponder children, because of the progression of the disease, there is a need to try new antiviral approaches. In a pilot study, 11 nonresponder children were retreated with IFN-alpha 10 MU/m2 body surface, three times a week for 24 weeks. At the end of treatment, 27% of the children had cleared serum HBV-DNA. Thus, retreatment has some benefit in nonresponder children.