[Chronic hepatitis C in children]. / Khronicheskii gepatiti C u detei.

The clinico-laboratory manifestations and outcomes of chronic hepatitis C have been studied in 49 children. The proportion of chronic hepatitis C in the structure of chronic viral hepatitides in children is 20.5%. Among chronic hepatitis C patients, in 18.4% chronic persisting hepatitis, in 20.4% chronic active hepatitis and in 61.4% chronic active hepatitis with transition to cirrhosis of the liver have been diagnosed. In patients with chronic hepatitis C manifested as chronic persisting hepatitis or chronic active hepatitis the course of the disease is characterized by intermittent periods of prolonged exacerbations and short remissions. In cases of chronic active hepatitis with cirrhosis of the liver the signs of the active process can be constantly detected in the course of prolonged observations. In some patients with chronic active hepatitis the lethal outcome is possible as the consequence of progressing liver insufficiency. The data obtained in this investigation indicate that autoimmune chronic hepatitis in children, extensively described in Russian and foreign literature, may be etiologically linked with hepatitis C virus.

[Frequency of detection of hepatitis B markers in various chronic diseases in children]. / Chastota vyiavleniia markerovvirusnogo gepatita B pri razlichnykh khronicheskikh zabolevaniiakh u detei.

Overall 995 children with different somatic chronic diseases were examined for viral hepatitis B markers demonstration using up-to-date highly sensitive methods (hemagglutination inhibition test, EIA). In the control group (children with acute intestinal infections), HBV-infection markers were discovered in 4.3%. Children with diabetes mellitus (13.1%), chronic renal diseases (18.9%), pulmonary diseases (32.8%), bronchial asthma (33.3%) and hemophilia (85.2%) are attributed to the group at greater risk for HBV infection. As a rule, the rate of HBV-infection markers demonstration in chronic somatic diseases was higher in considerable duration of the underlying illness. The overwhelming majority of the children examined had suffered subclinical forms of HBV-infection as shown by the disease history, whereupon they manifested antibodies against HBV antigens. HBs-antigenemia, that persisted for a long time (chronic HBV-infection) was demonstrable far less frequently. The authors provide evidence for the necessity of carrying out a broad-scale screening of HBV-infection markers in the indicated risk groups and vaccination against hepatitis B in children without HBsAG and without immunity to viral hepatitis B. The importance of measures aimed at preventing infections transmitted via blood is emphasized.