Nutritional status of children with chronic hepatitis B in a population with low socioeconomic status.

Objective: Chronic infections and liver diseases may lead to malnutrition. However, growth failure is rarely reported in chronic hepatitis B. We aimed to establish the nutritional status of children with chronic hepatitis B and the relation between anthropometric data and laboratory findings in a population with low socioeconomic status.

Fulminant amoebiasis in a child with recurrent multiple amoebic liver abscesses and pleuropulmonary complications.

A 5-year-old boy with recurrent liver abscesses and pleural empyema, presumed to be amoebic, is described. Despite surgical drainage of the liver and thoracic wall combined with metronidazole and chloroquine, he died 7 weeks after admission.

Comparison of antiviral effect of lamivudine with interferon-alpha2a versus -alpha2b in children with chronic hepatitis B infection.

Aim: To compare additive efficacy of combination therapy including interferon (IFN)-alpha2a+lamivudine (3TC) to IFN-alpha2b+3TC in children with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Material And Methods: Chronic hepatitis B infection was determined by presence of HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV DNA in serum screened at 3 months intervals for at least 1 year, serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels more than 1.5-times the upper normal limit and chronic hepatitis with histological activity index (HAI) more than 6 by liver biopsy.

Current therapeutic approaches in childhood chronic hepatitis B infection: a multicenter study.

Background And Aim: The aim of the present study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of three different regimens in childhood chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection.

Methods: A total of 182 children with CHB infection were prospectively allocated to three random groups. Sixty-two patients in the first group received high-dose interferon (IFN)-alpha 2b (10 MU/m2) thrice/weekly alone for 6 months.