Abstract
Multiple factors support treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in children. These factors include the anticipated long duration of infection after early acquisition, relatively good tolerance of antiviral medications, and avoidance of social stigmatization. Nevertheless, careful selection of appropriate candidates for therapy is important. If a contraindication to current therapeutic agents is present, treatment should be withheld until this has resolved or until new agents are available. Children without contraindications to the medications used for HCV should undergo liver biopsy to determine the presence and degree of fibrosis. In the absence of fibrosis, treatment may be deferred. If any degree of hepatic fibrosis is present, antiviral therapy for HCV should be considered. At present, in the United States, the only therapy approved for children by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a combination of interferon (IFN) alfa-2b and ribavirin. No safe therapies have been established for children younger than 3 years of age. Pegylated interferon in combination with ribavirin may be considered in adolescents older than 16 years of age who are post-pubertal, or in younger children in the context of clinical trials. M...Continue Reading
References
Dec 1, 1994·Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health·S MatsuokaY Kuroda
Sep 26, 1997·Hepatology : Official Journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases·M KageY Uchimura
Apr 17, 1998·The Journal of Pediatrics·C F BarlowR A Ezekowitz
Sep 17, 1998·The Journal of Pediatrics·F BortolottiS Faggion
Mar 30, 1999·Hepatology : Official Journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases·L F HouriganE E Powell
Aug 19, 1999·The New England Journal of Medicine·M J AlterH S Margolis
Sep 25, 1999·The New England Journal of Medicine·M VogtJ Hess
Apr 1, 2000·Pediatrics·R D AachM Hack
Jul 15, 2000·Seminars in Liver Disease·J B Schwimmer, W F Balistreri
Oct 5, 2001·Lancet·M P MannsJ K Albrecht
Dec 26, 2001·Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition·Karen R JacobsonKathleen B Schwarz
Jan 26, 2002·The American Journal of Gastroenterology·Motoyoshi YanoKentaro Yoshioka
May 2, 2002·Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology·Winita Hardikar
Oct 31, 2002·Hepatology : Official Journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases·Maureen M Jonas
Nov 26, 2002·Journal of Hepatology·Johan WestinRune Wejstål
Apr 15, 2003·Clinics in Liver Disease·Leonard B Seeff, Jay H Hoofnagle
Nov 20, 2003·Reviews in Medical Virology·Thomas Hügle, Andreas Cerny
Dec 4, 2003·Journal of Hepatology·Ingrid J HickmanJulie R Jonsson
Feb 13, 2004·Gut·I J HickmanE E Powell
Mar 3, 2004·European Journal of Pediatrics·Magdalena FiglerowiczIwona Mozer-Lisewska
Mar 27, 2004·Nutrition·Motoh IwasaYukihiko Adachi
Citations
Aug 1, 2006·Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition·Carolina RumboBenjamin L Shneider
Dec 13, 2005·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Ellen ButenskyPaul Harmatz
Jul 22, 2006·Pediatric Transplantation·Ian W UdellJohn A Goss
Sep 7, 2005·Journal of Hepatology·Lucy PembreyUNKNOWN EPHN Collaborators
Jun 6, 2006·The Journal of International Medical Research·G V ZuccottiM Giovannini
Feb 14, 2013·International Journal of Oncology·Ahmed YoussefYoshitake Hayashi