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Published on: February 19, 2019
[Longitudinal follow-up study of 64 children chronically infected with hepatitis B virus, treated and not treated
R Vetencourt1, M Vetencourt, J De Armas
1Hospital Central Antonio María Pineda, Escuela de Medicina Pablo Acosta Ortiz, UCLA, Barquisimeto.
Insights
This study investigated Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) in 64 children, finding Interferon (INF) did not significantly improve seroconversion rates. Age was a significant factor in Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroconversion, suggesting natural disease progression may play a key role.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Hepatology
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- Chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection affects children globally.
- Understanding disease spectrum and treatment efficacy is crucial for pediatric management.
- Interferon (INF) is a potential therapeutic agent for HBV, but its effectiveness in children requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of Interferon (INF) treatment in achieving seroconversion in children with chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection.
- To determine the spectrum of HBV disease in a cohort of chronically infected children.
- To explore the influence of age and Hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) status on seroconversion outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 64 children with chronic HBV infection was studied over 5 years and 3 months.
- Patients were divided into groups based on age at infection and HBeAg status, with some receiving INF treatment.
- Interferon (INF) was administered at a dose of 5,000,000 U/m² three times a week for 16 weeks.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant difference in seroconversion rates for HBV e-antigen (HBeAg) or HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) was observed between treated and untreated groups.
- Age was found to be a significant factor influencing HBsAg seroconversion.
- The study observed a low incidence of cirrhosis (1.7%) and no cases of hepatocellular carcinoma during the follow-up period.
Conclusions:
- Interferon (INF) treatment did not demonstrate a statistically significant benefit in achieving seroconversion for HBeAg or HBsAg in this cohort of chronically infected children.
- The significant role of age in HBsAg seroconversion suggests that the natural course of the disease may be a primary driver of viral clearance.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the interplay between natural viral clearance and therapeutic interventions in pediatric chronic HBV infection.
Abstract:
With the purpose of knowing the spectrum of the disease we studied the outcome of 64 children chronically infected by Hepatitis B Virus (HBV): 38 treated with Interferon (INF) and 26 without treatment. The period of infection was no less than 8 months, the average age was 4.7 years, 39 boys, 25 girls, and the observation period was 5 years, 3 moths (range 6 months-14 years). We divided them in 2 groups: a) 40 patients AgeBH positive from which 26 received treatment. b) 24 patients AgeBH negative from which 12 received treatment. We used 5,000,000 U. of interferon per M2 3 times a week for 16 weeks. The results do not show statistically difference that might favor the use of INF in order to reach seroconversion neither of Age nor Ags. Meanwhile the age is significant in Ags seroconversion. This might lead us to the question if seroconversion is due to the natural course of the disease once the body gets rid of the virus, or to interferon treatment. During the study period only one case turned to cirrhosis (1.7%) and none to Hepato carcinoma.
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