title: Pilot interferon-beta trial in children with chronic hepatitis B who had previously not responded to interferon-alpha therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recombinant interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment is useful in 40% of children with chronic hepatitis B. However, nonresponder children continue to have viral replication and a progressive disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To administer natural IFN-beta to hepatitis B virus chronic carrier children who had not responded to a previous IFN-alpha cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two children with chronic hepatitis B, nonresponders to a previous IFN-alpha cycle, were retreated with 5 MU/m2 of body surface of natural IFN-beta, administered intramuscularly, three times per week for 24 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of treatment, 9 (41%) of 22 children became hepatitis B virus DNA negative. Hepatitis B e antibodies (anti-HBe) developed in 5 of these children, and 6 had normal alanine aminotransferase values. At the end of the posttreatment follow-up (21 months from the beginning of the study), 10 (45%) of 22 children were viral DNA negative, 7 (32%) of 22 were anti-HBe positive (none of them had viral DNA in serum), and 11 (50%) of 22 had normal alanine aminotransferase levels (10 without detectable viral DNA and 7 anti-HBe positive).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IFN-beta seems to be an effective retreatment therapy for children with chronic hepatitis B who are nonresponders to a first IFN-alpha cycle; however, a controlled study should be performed to confirm these results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruíz-Moreno
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartolomé
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oliva
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carreño
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000628:therapy*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D016899:Interferon-beta; D000410:Alanine Transaminase