A 1-year trial of lamivudine for chronic hepatitis B in children.
We carried out a 1-year trial to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of lamivudine, an oral nucleoside analogue, in a small group of children with vertically acquired chronic hepatitis B. Patients were assessed for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA at baseline and every 4 weeks thereafter, and for hepatitis B s antigen, hepatitis B e antigen and their antibodies every 12 weeks. Analysis of HBV mutation was undertaken at entry and on the occasion of the last positive control of HBV DNA. Lamivudine suppressed serum HBV DNA to undetectable levels in all treated patients within 24 weeks. Serum ALT levels returned to normal values within 36 weeks. Therapy was well tolerated, and although nausea and vomiting were reported in one child, it was not necessary to stop treatment. A new observation was that, contrary to previous data, seroconversion appeared to occur earlier in children with lower ALT levels at baseline.
Zuccotti
G V
GV
Paediatric Department, University of Milan, San Paolo Hospital, Milan, Italy. zuccottig@libero.it
Cucchi
C
C
Gracchi
V
V
D'Auria
E
E
Riva
E
E
Tagger
A
A
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000097:blood; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine; D000410:Alanine Transaminase