title: Natural history of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in children in Japan: a comparison of mother-to-child transmission with horizontal transmission.
abstract: It is necessary to evaluate the natural history of children with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in each country to consider their long-term management.
  
  
  
  A multi-center observational study of children with chronic HBV infection who were diagnosed at age ≤15 years was carried out in 18 hospitals in Japan.
  
  
  
  We reviewed children with HBV infection including 381 with mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) and 154 with horizontal transmission, genotype C being the most prevalent virus genotype (83%). Children with horizontal transmission were more frequently infected with HBV genotype A or B and more likely to receive interferon therapy than those infected by MTCT. The HBeAg seroconversion rate at 15 years of age was 42% in the MTCT group and 38% in the horizontal group. It was lower in children with genotype C infection than in those infected with other genotypes (33 versus 45%). Hepatitis developed at any age but before 4 years of age the incidence was high in the horizontal group. At 3 years after the onset of the hepatitis, 26% of children with MTCT and 30% of those with horizontal transmission became inactive carriers. The incidences of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at 30 years of age were 6% in the MTCT group and 11% in the horizontal group.
  
  
  
  Patients with childhood-onset HBV infection with MTCT and horizontal transmission developed hepatitis and seroconverted to anti-HBe at any age and had a lifetime risk of developing HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Osaka General Medical Center, 3-1-56 Bandaihigashi, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, 558-8558, Japan. takano@gh.opho.jp.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Osaka General Medical Center, 3-1-56 Bandaihigashi, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, 558-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tajiri
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoyo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hosono
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Saiseikai Yokohama City Tobu Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inui
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics and Perinatology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kurume University Medical Center, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: Kosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ushijima
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Hospital, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Endocrinology, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Izumi, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Etani
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pediatrics, Miyagi Children's Hospital, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Daiki
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abukawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuyoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology/Immunology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brooks
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007564:Japan; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens
keywords: Childhood; Chronic hepatitis B; Horizontal transmission; Mother-to-child transmission; Natural history