Perinatal viral hepatitis C and performance capabilities for its therapy

Abstract

The aim of the study: to establish the rate of the vertical transmission of HCV infection and justify the usefulness of the drug a-IFN2b (Viferon®) in children with perinatal infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) at the early stages of the disease. There were examined 465 children aged 2.5 months to 3 years old (at the time of the enrollment in the study), born to mothers with HCV infection and the frequency of transmission from mother to child was established to be is 7.1% (33 cases). In 54.5% the genotype 1b was recorded, in 3% - 1a, and in 6.0 % - 2 genotype. Viferon® drug in doses of 3х10 6IU/m 2 was introduced to 17 infants aged from 3 to 12 months (duration of the course: 6 months in cases with 3, 2 genotype and 12 months - in patients with genotype 1). The efficacy of therapy was 58.8 % (RNA HCV (-) 10 cases. In prescription the drug to children under 6 months the efficacy was 62.5%, under 6-12 months - 44.4%. In the control group (16patients) spontaneous viral clearance was established to be in 18.7% of cases. The medication did not cause adverse effects and was well tolerated by children. In none out of the 17 children treated with the drug Viferon®, we have not reported adverse events (clinical symptoms, abnormalities in the hemogram and biochemical indices). The obtained data confirm the expediency of the early use of antiviral drug Viferon® in the treatment of children with perinatal HCV. Nо significant difference in the efficacy of therapy in different genotypes of the virus was identified. Virtually in all children (9 out of 10 children) responded to Viferon® therapy, there was noted Sustained Viral Response