P0301 HEPATITIS C IN CHILDREN: EPIDEMIOLOGY, CLINICAL AND LABORATORIES FEATURES

Introduction: The prevalence rates of HCV infection among countries varyng from 0,3 to 1,5%. At present, maternal-infant transmission(MIT)of HCV is the greatest route of children infection. Aim:1-To evaluate the epidemiology, clinical and laboratories features of Hepatitis C in children in Argentina from 1st January 1990 to 31 December 2002.2)To evaluate the response with interferon terapy. Methods: It’s a retrospective and multicentric study that enrolled 94 pts IgG HCV+ of four Hospitals. The mean-age:8ys(r:1m-18ys). At each visit phisical examination and laboratories testing(aminotranferases level, RNAHCV PCR and genotypes) were studied. In 28 patients a biopsy was performed and 23 of them received treatment with alfa Interferon according Consensus HCV (5 MUI/m2 for 4 months and 3 MUI/m2 for 8 months). The data were analyzed by CHI2 method. Results: In 30% we found previous chronic-disease, hematological disease in 10,6%, pregnant women with HIV positive in 45% and 11,7%in children. The trasmission way(TW) showed MIT in 45%, parenteral transmission(PT)in 50% and unknown way in 5%. In the presentation form 4,2% were as hepatitis like,41,5% as elevated ATL and 16% only hepatomegaly. In 25 pts we can do the genotype (1a in 40%,1b in 40%,3a in 16% and 2a in 4%),68% of all were HCVRNA positive(+)at the diagnosis time. In 53% of the pts with MIT met HCVRNA+, 30% of them came back negative in a mean time of 16 months. In PT pts we found RNAHCV+ in 77% of them. In 60% of the pts the in-flamatory infiltrates in the biopsy specimens were mild. The interferon response at 6 mo was 31,2%, at 12 mo 38%, the sustained response was 25%,13/21 pts were non responders, 10 of them had genotype I. In a follow up of 7 years 3/13 pts previously RNAHCV+ became negative and 2/8 negative became positive. At the end of the follow up 34% have been normalized AT and 20% maintained elevated ATL both with RNAHCV+,43% had normal ATL with HCV RNA negative. Conclusion: In the studied group greatest TW were the MIT and PT, in the presentation form 40%had only elevated ATL and 80% genotype 1, with interferon terapy these pts were non responders(80%)at 12 months. According with publications the histological features were in most of children mild. At seven years of follow up 60% of the pts remained RNAHCV+.