Immunomodulation therapy in children with chronic hepatitis B.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of HBsAg vaccine and levamisole on virological indicators in naive patients suffering from chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and in healthy carriers of hepatitis B.


METHODS
Vaccination and treatment with levamisole were applied to 93 minor patients in total, 43 of them inactive CHB carriers and 50 patients suffering from CHB.


RESULTS
15 (30%) of 50 patients who had high ALT values in the beginning of the study had normal values after treatment. In nine (12%) patients, posttreatment ALT values were higher than pretreatment values, and six (10%) patients showed HBV-DNA loss. In spite of the presence of 50 (54%) HBeAg-positive patients before treatment, 17 (34%) patients proved to be HBeAg-negative after treatment. HBeAg sero-conversion was seen in 10 (20%) cases. In two (2%) patients, HBsAg sero-conversion occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
It was found that treatment with levamisole and vaccine had positive effects on CHB patients and healthy carriers with respect to HBV DNA loss, HBeAg sero-conversion and ALT normalization. The viral load increases and ALT increases that occurred in certain cases were thought to be related to the early immune response. It was determined that combined levamisole and vaccine therapy had no additional positive effect.
Karaoglan
Murat
M
State Pediatrics Hospital of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
Demirci
Fikret
F
Coskun
Yavuz
Y
Karaoglan
Ilkay
I
Bayraktaroglu
Ziya
Z
Okan
Vahap
V
Karsligil
Tekin
T
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007978:Levamisole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007978:Levamisole