PEGYLATED INTERFERON RIBAVIRIN FOR CHILDREN WITH HCV PEDS-C

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。慢性丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染是一个全球性的健康问题，它影响着全世界约1.7亿人。在美国，儿童人群中HCV感染的患病率(？18岁)估计为0.1%-0.2%，而成人为1.8%。因此，在美国大约有15万儿童和390万成人慢性感染丙型肝炎病毒。丙型肝炎病毒感染的重要性在于它有引起隐性进行性肝损害的倾向。持续的病毒学反应，定义为在治疗完成24周后血清中检测不到HCV RNA，发生在约36%的单独使用常规干扰素治疗的儿童和约50%的常规干扰素联合利巴韦林治疗的儿童中。以聚乙二醇干扰素为基础的治疗方案在成人中优于以传统干扰素为基础的治疗方案，但对儿童中的聚乙二醇干扰素知之甚少。本研究的目的是评估聚乙二醇干扰素α -2a单独或联合利巴韦林治疗慢性丙型肝炎患儿的疗效和安全性。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health problem as it affects an estimated 170 million individuals worldwide. In the United States, the prevalence of HCV infection in the pediatric population (?18 years old) is estimated to be 0.1%-0.2% as compared to 1.8% in adults. Thus, there are approximately 150,000 children and 3.9 million adults chronically infected with HCV in the United States. The importance of HCV infection lies in its propensity to cause insidiously progressive liver damage. Sustained virologic response, defined by undetectable HCV RNA in serum 24 weeks after completion of treatment, occurs in approximately 36% of children treated with conventional interferon alone and in about 50% of those given conventional interferon in combination with ribavirin. Pegylated interferon-based treatment regimens are better than those based on conventional interferon in adults but little is known about peginterferons in children. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa-2a alone or in combination with ribavirin in pediatric patients with chronic hepatitis C.