Abstract
This retrospective study concerns 186 children with histologically proven chronic hepatitis B from 9 pediatric centers in Italy (Pavia, Milano, Padova, Modena, Firenze, Romav Napoli, Catania and Cagliari). Aim of this study was to identify risk factors for children to develop severe liver disease during Hepatitis B virus infection. Male/female ratio was 2:1 and mean age at diagnosis 5.7 years (range 5m-15y). 152 children had histologic evidence of mild or moderately active disease (chronic persistent or lobular or moderately active hepatitis) and 34 a more severe disease (severe chronic active hepatitis/cirrhosis). Although chronic hepatitis B in children seems to have in Italy a more benign course than in adults, three main risk factors with high statistical significance (p<0.001) were identified: 1. Early presence of anti-HBe in serum: of 121 patients studied for HBe/antiHBe system at diagnosis 16 (7. anti-HBe + ) had severe histologic lesions. 2. Vertical trasmission: of 34 patients with severe disease, 14 had a vertical, trasmission of the HBV infection. 3. Age at diagnosis < 2 years: seventeen out of 25 children younger than 2 years at diagnosis had severe disease.
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Maggiore, G. CHRONIC HEPATITIS B IN CHILDREN: A RETROSPECTIVE MULTICENTER STUDY IN ITALY. Pediatr Res 20, 699 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198607000-00083
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198607000-00083