title: Co-occurrence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection and autoimmune hepatitis in a young Senegalese girl.
abstract: We report the case of a 9-year-old Senegalese girl with co-occurring wild-type (HBeAg-positive) chronic hepatitis B and antinuclear antibody-positive autoimmune hepatitis. Her HLA haplotype was A1, B8, DRB1*04, DQB1*02. Steriod and lamivudine therapy led to biochemical remission, and reactivation occurred when the patient stopped steroids. Persistent HBV infection due to wild-type virus (likely acquired vertically or early in life, as the mother was HBsAg positive) may have acted as a trigger for autoimmune hepatitis in this young girl.
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Diseases, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome cSection of Infectious Diseases, Italy.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nobili
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcellini
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Devito
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Comparcola
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vento
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D012675:Senegal / Q000208:ethnology