Kids with chronic hepatitis B generally do well

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Chronic hepatitis B, a viral infection of the liver, causes little or no symptoms in children and typically follows a benign course over the long term, according to a report in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Although chronic hepatitis B generally manifests as mild disease in children and young adults, the authors explain, data regarding its long-term course are scarce.

Dr. Raffaele Iorio and colleagues from University "Federico II," Naples, Italy evaluated the outcomes of chronic hepatitis B infection in 108 children without serious diseases who were followed for up to 24 years. Forty-one of the children were treated with the drug interferon.

All patients remained symptom-free during follow-up, apart from side effects related to interferon therapy, the authors report.

None of the children developed evidence of liver cancer, which has been linked to hepatitis B. Tissue analysis in 57 of the subjects "showed mild-to-moderate disease in 91.2 percent."

There was no evidence that interferon therapy helped the patients rid themselves of hepatitis B virus in the long-term. "These findings should be considered when selecting candidates for treatment and choosing antiviral agents," the investigators suggest.

SOURCE: Clinical Infectious Diseases, October 15, 2007.