We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Functional cure induced by tenofovir alafenamide plus peginterferon-alpha-2b in young children with chronic hepatitis B: a case series study.
- Authors
Zeng, Qing-Lei; Chen, Ru-Yue; Lv, Xue-Yan; Huang, Shuo; Li, Wei-Zhe; Pan, Ya-Jie; Wang, Fu-Sheng; Yu, Zu-Jiang
- Abstract
Background and Aims: Data on the safety and effectiveness of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) plus peginterferon-alpha (Peg-IFN-α) in children with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are lacking. The current study aimed to present the characteristics of four pediatric CHB patients who obtained a functional cure by using TAF and Peg-IFN-α. Methods: In this case series study initiated in May 2019, ten children who had no clinical symptoms or signs received response-guided (HBV DNA undetectable, hepatitis B e antigen [HBeAg] loss or seroconversion, and hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] loss or seroconversion) and functional cure-targeted (HBsAg loss or seroconversion) TAF (25 mg/d, orally) plus Peg-IFN-α-2b (180 µg/1.73m2, subcutaneously, once weekly) in combination (9/10) or sequential (1/10) therapy. The safety and effectiveness of these treatments were monitored. Results: As of April 2024, four out of ten children obtained a functional cure after a mean of 31.5 months of treatment, and the other six children are still undergoing treatment. These four cured children, aged 2, 4, 8, and 6 years, were all HBeAg-positive and had alanine aminotransferase levels of 80, 47, 114, and 40 U/L; HBV DNA levels of 71200000, 93000000, 8220, and 96700000 IU/mL; and HBsAg levels of 39442.8, 15431.2, 22, and 33013.1 IU/mL, respectively. During treatment, all the children (10/10) experienced mild or moderate adverse events, including flu-like symptoms, anorexia, fatigue, and cytopenia. Notably, growth retardation (8/10) was the most significant adverse event; and it occurred in three cured children (3/4) treated with combination therapy and was present to a low degree in the other cured child (1/4) treated with sequential therapy. Fortunately, all three cured children recovered to or exceeded the normal growth levels at 9 months posttreatment. Conclusions: TAF plus Peg-IFN-α-2b therapy is potentially safe and effective for pediatric CHB patients, which may provide important insights for future clinical practice and study designs targeting functional cures for children with CHB.
- Subjects
HEPATITIS associated antigen; GROWTH disorders; ALANINE aminotransferase; SYMPTOMS; FATIGUE (Physiology); CHRONIC hepatitis B
- Publication
BMC Infectious Diseases, 2024, Vol 24, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1471-2334
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1186/s12879-024-09723-0