title: [Results of 12-month lamivudine therapy of chronic hepatitis B in children].
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the results of 12-month lamivudine therapy in children with chronic hepatitis B.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 24 children (14 boys and 10 girls) aged from 7 to 18 years with chronic hepatitis B diagnosed according to current criteria. Lamivudine was administred in a daily dose of 3-5 mg/kg up to 100 mg for twelve months. The efficiency of treatment was estimated on the basis of absence of HBV DNA in blood serum, loss of HBeAg and normalization of ALT activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total virusological response and biochemical response were achieved in 6 children after twelve months of lamivudine therapy. In 4 children, absence of HBV DNA without the loss of HBeAg and without the normalization of ALT activity were observed. Fourteen children did not respond to 12-month of lamivudine therapy (the lack of HBV DNA elimination and the lack of HBeAg loss). None of the children showed elimination of HBsAg and production of HBs antibodies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment is very well tolerated and does not cause undesired side effects.
authors.affiliation: III Klinika Pediatri Instytutu Centrum Zdrowia Matki Polki w Lodzi. IIIKlinikaPed@pharmanet.com.pl
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Woźniakowska-Gesicka
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kupś
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiśniewska-Ligier
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dzwonek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine