PEGYLATED INTERFERON RIBAVIRIN FOR CHILDREN WITH HCV PEDS-C

该子项目是利用 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是 中心，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，因为它影响了全球估计1.7亿人。在美国，HCV感染在儿童人群中的患病率（？18岁）估计为0.1%-0.2%，而成人为1.8%。因此，在美国有大约15万儿童和390万成人慢性感染HCV。HCV感染的重要性在于其倾向于引起隐性进行性肝损伤。持续的病毒学应答，定义为完成治疗后24周血清中检测不到HCV RNA，约36%的儿童单独使用常规干扰素治疗，约50%的儿童使用常规干扰素联合利巴韦林治疗。在成人中，以聚乙二醇干扰素为基础的治疗方案优于以常规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单用或联合利巴韦林治疗儿童慢性丙型肝炎的疗效和安全性。

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.