Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C in Adolescent Patients With Positive HBsAg or With Occult Hepatitis B: Is the Risk of Hepatitis B Reactivation Significant?

Background: Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients treated for chronic hepatitis C (HCV) with direct-acting antiviral agents has emerged recently as an important safety issue; however, it has not been adequately studied in pediatric age groups. We aimed to evaluate this risk in adolescent patients infected with chronic HCV and positive for HBsAg and HBcAbs.

Patients And Methods: One hundred and fifteen adolescent patients from 12 to 17 years of age, infected with chronic HCV and positive for HBcAbs with or without HBsAg were included in this study.

Effectiveness of 8-week sofosbuvir/ledipasvir in the adolescent chronic hepatitis C-infected patients.

Background: The sustained virological response (SVR) rate for the 12-week sofosbuvir (SOF)/ledipasvir (LVD) treatment of adolescent genotype-4 patients is high. The aim of this study is to evaluate 8 versus 12-week treatment efficacy and safety in adolescent genotype-4 patients.

Patients And Methods: In total, 157 chronic hepatitis C-infected adolescent patients (mean age 14±2 years, 62% males) were included in this study.

IL28B polymorphism and cytomegalovirus predict response to treatment in Egyptian HCV type 4 patients.

Aim: To test whether the status of positive cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA detection adds to the predictive value of IL28B and to further categorize C/T allele carriers.

Methods: This study included 166 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients who received combined interferon and ribavirin therapy for 48 wk, 84 spontaneous hepatitis C virus (HCV) resolvers who were positive for IgG anti-HCV antibody and negative for HCV RNA, and 100 healthy subjects who were negative for both HCV antibodies and RNA as controls. Genomic DNA from peripheral blood was used for IL28B rs.

Association of IL28B SNP With Progression of Egyptian HCV Genotype 4 Patients to End Stage Liver Disease.

Background: IL28B single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) play important roles in the management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections and are strongly associated with spontaneous and treatment-induced HCV clearance.

Objectives: In the present study, the association between IL28B variants and the progression of HCV infection in Egyptian patients infected with type 4a virus will be examined.

Patients And Methods: Frequencies of the protective genotype C/C of SNP, rs12979860 were determined in healthy subjects, spontaneous resolvers, and chronic HCV type 4 patients with low F scores and in patients with end stage liver disease (ESLD).