title: Assessment of hepatic fibrosis in pediatric cases with hepatitis C virus in Egypt.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess hepatic fibrosis and factors associated with its progression in children with HCV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  At the Hepatology Unit, Cairo University Children's Hospital, a single liver biopsy was performed to 43 children with HCV infection after an informed consent between 1998-2004. Their mean age at liver biopsy was 8.67 +/- 4.3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 43 patients' biopsies, 12 (27.9%) were having no fibrosis, 20 (46.5%) mild fibrosis and 11 (25.6%) moderate to severe fibrosis. The median time for development of fibrosis was estimated to be 5.5 years. Developing fibrosis was significantly associated with shorter duration from first detected ALT elevation to biopsy (12 mo vs 1.2 mo, P=0.015) and having higher levels of direct serum bilirubin (0.3 mg/dL vs 0.5 mg/dL, P=0.048). No association was found between fibrosis stage and the presence of co-morbid conditions (P=0.33).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic fibrosis was present in 72.1% of children with HCV infection. The development of fibrosis was associated with higher levels of direct serum bilirubin. There was no significant association between fibrosis and age, duration of infection, risk factors, co-morbid conditions and most biochemical parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Fayoum University, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt. manalelhawary@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Manal A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El-Hawary
authors.forename: Mona S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: El-Raziky
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esmat
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soliman
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abouzied
authors.forename: Maissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Raziky
authors.forename: Wafaa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: El-Akel
authors.forename: Rokaya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: El-Sayed
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shebl
authors.forename: Abdel-Aziz
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Shaheen
authors.forename: Hanaa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Karaksy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin