Low viraemia at enrollment in children with chronic hepatitis C favours spontaneous viral clearance.
The significance of hepatitis C viral (HCV)-RNA levels in long-term clinical outcomes of children with chronic HCV infection is not well understood. We conducted a long-term follow-up study of 42 children with chronic HCV infection that included clinical evaluation, biochemical tests, HCV genotyping and repeated quantitative HCV-RNA detection. Patients were divided into low and high viraemia groups according to RNA levels at enrollment (below/above 4.5 x 10(4) IU/mL), and clinical, biochemical and virological factors were evaluated. Overall, 14.3% (6/42) of patients developed spontaneous viral clearance during a median 10.1 years of follow-up. HCV-RNA levels at enrollment and mean RNA levels during follow-up for each patient were significantly correlated (R = 0.9018, 95% CI: 0.6637-0.9038, P < or = 0.001). HCV-RNA level fluctuation was within two log units in 76% of patients. Cumulative viraemia probability during follow-up could be predicted by viraemia levels at enrollment (P = 0.0092). Chronic HCV-infected children, with an RNA level below 4.5 x 10(4) IU/mL at enrollment, have a higher spontaneous viral clearance rate.
Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Children's Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
S-T
ST
Chen
Y-H
YH
Ni
P-J
PJ
Chen
H-L
HL
Chen
Y-M
YM
Jeng
M-Y
MY
Lu
J-F
JF
Wu
H-Y
HY
Hsu
M-H
MH
Chang
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D019562:Viral Load / Q000502:physiology*; D014766:Viremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology
D012367:RNA, Viral