Current therapies for chronic HBV infection are focused on adults. However, the timing of primary infection of HBV often occurs during infancy or childhood, particularly in endemic areas. Children have the potential for a long lifespan and should be treated properly and early before complications develop.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Sokal, E. M. et al. Management of chronic hepatitis B in childhood: ESPGHAN clinical practice guidelines. J. Hepatol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2013.05.016.
Chen, H. L. et al. Effects of maternal screening and universal immunization to prevent mother-to-infant transmission of HBV. Gastroenterology 142, 773–781 (2012).
Chang, M. H., Hwang, L. Y., Hsu, H. C., Lee, C. Y. & Beasley, R. P. Prospective study of asymptomatic HBsAg carrier children infected in the perinatal period: clinical and liver histologic studies. Hepatology 8, 374–377 (1988).
Chang, M. H. et al. Hepatitis B virus integration in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma in childhood. Hepatology 13, 316–320 (1991).
Ni, Y. H. et al. Viremia profiles in children with chronic hepatitis B virus infection and spontaneous e antigen seroconversion. Gastroenterology 132, 2340–2345 (2007).
Lang, T. et al. The hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) targets and suppresses activation of the toll-like receptor signaling pathway. J. Hepatol. 55, 762–769 (2011).
Chang, J., Block, T. M. & Guo, J. T. The innate immune response to hepatitis B virus infection: Implications for pathogenesis and therapy. Antiviral Res. 96, 405–413 (2012).
Frodsham, A. J. et al. Class II cytokine receptor gene cluster is a major locus for hepatitis B persistence. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 103, 9148–9153 (2006).
Wu, J. F. et al. Effect of puberty onset on spontaneous hepatitis B virus e antigen seroconversion in men. Gastroenterology 138, 942–948 (2010).
Cox, N. & Tillmann, H. Emerging pipeline drugs for hepatitis B infection. Expert Opin. Emerg. Drugs 16, 713–729 (2011).
Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges the grant support of the National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan (Grant No. NHRI-EX102-10001BI).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The author declares no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chang, MH. Children need optimal management of chronic hepatitis B. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 10, 505–506 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2013.137
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2013.137