Pegylated alpha interferon 2B plus ribavirin in the treatment of HCV genotype 4 infection.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate safety and efficacy of Peg-INF combined with ribavirin for genotype 4 infected children.


METHODS
Seven children were included, five were infected parentrally, One vertically and one had both exposures. Clinical and laboratory evaluation were undertaken as well as quantitative PCR for HCV RNA before therapy at, 12, 24 and 52 weeks during treatment and one year after therapy. Liver biopsy was performed before and at the end of therapy. Four children had low and three had moderate viremia.


RESULTS
At twelve weeks, two children (28.6%) lost viremia. Another child lost viremia at 52 weeks. ETR was 42.9%. During follow up one relapsed, thus SVR was 28.6%. Children with SVR were the youngest, their mean duration of infection was 4.5 vs 12.7 years in the others. Side effects of both INF & ribavirin was mild, required no reduction in doses.


CONCLUSIONS
Combination therapy of peg interferon-alpha with ribavirin is well tolerated in children and adolescents studied.
Ghaffar
Tawhida Yassin Abdel
TY
Yassin Abdel Ghaffar Charity Center for Liver Disease and Research, Menoufia, Egypt.
El Naghy
Suzan
S
El Sebaie
Hatem
H
El Monaiery
Magda
M
Ghaffar
Aisha Yassin Abdel
AY
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b