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ABSTRACT: Objectives
Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study is to describe the hepatic histology in children chronically infected with hepatitis B virus living in the United States and Canada.Methods
Liver biopsies of 134 treatment-naïve children with chronic hepatitis B virus infection were scored for inflammation, fibrosis, and other histological features, and correlated with clinical and laboratory data.Results
Sixty percentage of subjects acquired the infection vertically, 51% were male, and 69% were hepatitis B e antigen-positive at the time of the biopsy. Hepatitis B DNA levels were generally high (mean 7.70 log IU/mL), as was serum alanine aminotransferase (median 120 U/L). Using the Ishak-modified histology activity index scoring system, interface hepatitis was mild in 31%, moderate in 61%, and severe in 6%. Lobular inflammation was mild in 54%, moderate in 29%, and marked in 7%. Portal inflammation was mild in 38% and moderate in 62% of subjects. Eighteen percentage had no fibrosis, 59% had portal expansion without bridging fibrosis, 19% had bridging fibrosis, and 4% had cirrhosis. Alanine aminotransferase positively correlated with inflammation and fibrosis. Neither age, duration of infection, nor Hepatitis B virus DNA levels correlated with fibrosis. Fibrosis-4 index did not correlate with fibrosis but correlated with inflammation. Aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index correlated with both inflammation and fibrosis.Conclusions
Chronic hepatitis B virus infection results in significant inflammation and fibrosis during childhood. Serum alanine aminotransferase is a strong indicator of the severity and extent of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis.
SUBMITTER: Rodriguez-Baez N
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8491712 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Rodriguez-Baez Norberto N Murray Karen F KF Kleiner David E DE Ling Simon C SC Rosenthal Philip P Carlin Kristen K Cooper Kara K Schwarz Kathleen B KB Schwarzenberg Sarah J SJ Teckman Jeffrey H JH Ghany Marc G MG Alawad Ahmad Samer AS
Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition 20200701 1
<h4>Objectives</h4>Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study is to describe the hepatic histology in children chronically infected with hepatitis B virus living in the United States and Canada.<h4>Methods</h4>Liver biopsies of 134 treatment-naïve children with chronic hepatitis B virus infection were scored for inflammation, fibrosis, and other histological features, and correlated with clinical and laboratory data.<h4>Results</h4>Sixty ...[more]