title: [Chronic hepatitis B in children--is it still a real problem?].
abstract: Over one million people all over the world die every year due to the complications of HBV infections. This problem is particularly important in Asia, Africa and in the West Pacific region where HBV infection is widely spread (from 5-20% up to 80% of all infected people in the world). In these regions HBV infections are transmitted mostly perinatally or during early childhood. In North America and in West Europe where after introducing anti-HBV vaccinations less than 2% of the population is affected, infections are usually transmitted by intravenous drug abuse, sexual intercourse, or much less frequently by blood transfusions. The immaturity of immune system in young children is responsible for the fact that nearly 90% of HBV infections acquired in infancy and 40-70% of HBV infections before the age of 3 years, result in chronic viral hepatitis. Therefore, the choice of an efficient and safe therapy is one of the most important problems. In this paper current data concerning indications for treatment and side-effects of interferon-alpha and lamivudine therapy in children with chronic viral hepatitis type B are presented.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Klinika Pediatrii, Gastroenterologii i Onkologii Dzieciecej Akademii Medycznej w Gdańsku. alib@amg.gda.pl
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liberek
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Góra-Gebka
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Łuczak
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zagierski
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jankowska
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szlagatys-Sidorkiewicz
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sikorska-Wiśniewska
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bako
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marek
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D019259:Lamivudine