Entecavir treatment of children 2-16 years of age with chronic hepatitis B infection.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Childhood acquired chronic hepatitis B is associated with a significant lifetime risk of developing cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Our objective in this study was to report retrospectively the response to treatment with Entecavir in 8 children with chronic hepatitis B followed at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study is an observational hospital based chart review of children and adolescents with chronic hepatitis B treated with entecavir at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in the period between June 2007 and July 2011. RESULTS: Half of the studied group was males, and the median age at the time of treatment was 4.8 years (range, 2.6-15). All subjects displayed infection with HBV genotype D and all were HBeAg positive. Half of the patients had been previously treated with lamivudine, while the remaining half was treatment naïve patients. The mean ALT±SD was 84.9±34.7IU/L (range, 46-133) and the mean HBV DNA was 5.01×10(8)±5.7×10(8) IU/mL (range, 5.5×10(7)-1.3×10(9)). Patients were treated with a daily oral dose of 0.5mg entecavir, and the mean duration of treatment was 23.8±11.9 months, (range 14.9-44.7 months). HBV DNA suppression of more than 2 log(10) was achieved in all patients. HBV DNA was undetected in 37.5%, with ALT normalization in 87.5% and lastly HBeAg seroconversion and loss occurred in 37.5%. No adverse side effects were observed during the treatment with entecavir. CONCLUSION: We conclude from this limited data that 37.5% of children treated with entecavir achieved HBeAg loss and seroconversion with no side effects observed during treatment period, however long term safety and efficacy in children should be demonstrated through a multicenter study, enrolling large number of patients.

Prevalence of celiac disease in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus screened by anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody from Western Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of celiac disease (CD) in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) using anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) antibodies. METHODS: A retrospective hospital record-based study of all children and adolescents with T1DM who were screened for CD was conducted at the Pediatric Diabetes Clinic of King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) between October 2002 and June 2011. RESULTS: A total of 430 children with T1DM were screened by anti-tTG antibody. The median age at screening was 10.7 years (range; 1.1-18). The study cohort included 232 (54%) Saudi patients, and females constituted 58.8% of the total number. Anti-tTG antibody screening was positive in 91 (21.2%) patients. Forty-eight (11.2%) out of 430 children screened had biopsy-proven CD. Forty-two patients with CD (87.5%) were asymptomatic. Patients with CD had less weight for age (p=0.007), and height for age (p=0.03) z-scores than non-CD patients. They showed more association with anemia (p<0.001), low albumin level (p<0.001), and autoimmune thyroid disease (p=0.002). There was no difference in the mean glycosylated hemoglobin level (p=0.38), or insulin requirements (p=0.74) between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CD in patients with T1DM from the Western region of KSA is considered among the highest reported. Therefore, routine screening through proper serological testing is recommended.