title: Treatment outcome of HCV infected paediatric patients and young adults at Karachi, Pakistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Scanty data are available regarding outcome of children and young adults treated conventionally for Hepatitis C. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the outcome of paediatric and young adult patients treated with PEG-IFN-alpha or conventional interferon (IFN) plus Ribavirin at a public sector hospital of Karachi.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an observational study, conducted at Sarwar Zuberi Liver Centre, Civil Hospital Karachi, from 2007 to 2010. Patients up to 20 year of age were tested for Anti-HCV antibodies by 4th generation ELISA and in positive cases HCV RNA was done by PCR. Patients with HBV, HIV and other comorbids such as thalassaemia minor, haemophilia, kidney disease, and co-existing active illness other than HCV were excluded. Depending upon the genotype, patients were treated for 24-48 weeks with IFN 3 MIU x3 per week or PEG-IFN-alpha (1.5 microg/Kg) per week plus Ribavirin 15 mg/Kg/day. Nearly all patients were followed till the end of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of 55 patients, was 18.42 +/- 2.59 years (range 9-20 years) and BMI 19.56 +/- 2.36 Kg/m2. Females were 70.9% (n = 39). More than 80% had genotype 3 (subtype a or b). Remaining had genotype 1, 4 or mixed. Slight decreases in haemoglobin, platelet and white cell count at 1, 3 and 6 months of treatment were noted. No significant side effects were noted. There was a marked decrease in the ALT post treatment (pre-treatment values 72.69 +/- 50.73 versus post-treatment 24.81 +/- 14.09 IU/l). End-treatment response (ETR) was 90.9%; of these sustained viral response (SVR) was achieved in 86.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCV infected paediatric and young adult patients treated with PEG-IFN-alpha/or conventional interferon plus Ribavirin (combination therapy) achieved an ETR of 90.9% and SVR of 86.3%.
authors.forename: Sina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: Jamila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajper
authors.forename: Wajeeha
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Noorulain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin