Tolerance of interferon-alpha therapy in children with chronic hepatitis B.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the side-effects of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy in children with chronic hepatitis B.


METHODS
This prospective study was performed on one hundred children by interviewing the patients and their parents; clinical examinations and laboratory investigations were performed during and after therapy.


RESULTS
The most frequent side-effects of IFN-alpha therapy were fever, flu-like symptoms, and headaches. Lowering of the mean haemoglobin level, leukocyte and platelet count was significant, but transient during INF-alpha treatment. No increase in autoantibody titres or significant alterations in thyroid function was observed. Twelve months after treatment, hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) elimination and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization was achieved in 46% of the children; HBeAg and hepatatis B surface antigen (HBsAg) elimination, together with ALT normalization, was achieved in 14% of the cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The side-effects of the IFN-alpha therapy in children such as fever, flu-like symptoms and bone marrow suppression are common, but transient and mild.
Liberek
A
A
Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Oncology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland. tlib@amg.gda.pl
Łuczak
G
G
Korzon
M
M
Szlagatys-Sidorkiewicz
A
A
Bako
W
W
Góra-Gebka
M
M
Rytlewska
M
M
Sikorska-Wiśniewska
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced; D006261:Headache / Q000139:chemically induced; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D000410:Alanine Transaminase