The burden of paediatric Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection across Europe is unknown, as are current policies regarding monitoring and treatment. This collaborative study aimed to collect aggregate data to characterise the population of ≤18-year-olds with HCV infection in specialist follow up in a 12-month period (2016) across the PENTAHep European consortium, and investigate current policies around monitoring and treatment. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was distributed in April 2017 to 50 paediatricians in 19 European countries, covering patients' profile, and monitoring and treatment practices. Responses were received from 38/50 clinicians collectively caring for 663 children with chronic HCV infection of whom three-quarters were aged ≥6 years and 90% vertically infected. HCV genotype 1 was the most common (n 380; 57.3%), followed by genotype 3, 4 and 2. Seventeen children (3%) with chronic HCV infection were diagnosed with cirrhosis, and six were reported to have received liver transplantation for HCV-related liver disease. The majority (n 425; 64.1%) of the European children with HCV infection remained treatment-naive in 2016. Age affected clinicians' attitudes towards treatment; 94% reported being willing to use direct-acting antivirals, if available, in adolescents (aged ≥11 years), 78% in children aged 6-10 and 42% in those 3-5 years of age (Pearson correlation coefficient −0.98; P 0.0001). This survey provides the largest characterisation of the population of children in clinical follow-up for chronic HCV infection in Europe, alongside important contextual information on their management and treatment. Discussion is needed around strategies and criteria for use of direct-acting antivirals in these children.

Treatment and monitoring of children with chronic hepatitis C in the Pre-DAA era: A European survey of 38 paediatric specialists / Indolfi G.; Bailey H.; Serranti D.; Giaquinto C.; Thorne C.; Sokal E.; Debray D.; Girard M.; Feiterna-Sperling C.; Wirth S.; Guidi R.; Verucchi G.; D'Antiga L.; Nicastro E.; Maggiore G.; Trapani S.; Ricci S.; Resti M.; Giacomet V.; Benincaso A.R.; Nebbia G.; Iorio R.; Cananzi M.; Riva S.; Bossi G.; Dodi I.; Nobili V.; Comparcola D.; Garazzino S.; Calvo P.L.; Pokorska-Spiewak M.; Pawlowska M.; Goncalves C.; Goncalves I.; Bals M.; Tudor A.M.; Noguera-Julian A.; Ramos J.T.; Fischler B.; McLin V.; Brown M.; Kelly D.; Davison S.; Turkova A.; Bamford A.. - In: JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS. - ISSN 1352-0504. - ELETTRONICO. - 26:(2019), pp. 961-968. [10.1111/jvh.13111]

Treatment and monitoring of children with chronic hepatitis C in the Pre-DAA era: A European survey of 38 paediatric specialists

Indolfi G.;Serranti D.;Maggiore G.;Trapani S.;Ricci S.;Resti M.;Iorio R.;Dodi I.;Garazzino S.;
2019

Abstract

The burden of paediatric Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection across Europe is unknown, as are current policies regarding monitoring and treatment. This collaborative study aimed to collect aggregate data to characterise the population of ≤18-year-olds with HCV infection in specialist follow up in a 12-month period (2016) across the PENTAHep European consortium, and investigate current policies around monitoring and treatment. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was distributed in April 2017 to 50 paediatricians in 19 European countries, covering patients' profile, and monitoring and treatment practices. Responses were received from 38/50 clinicians collectively caring for 663 children with chronic HCV infection of whom three-quarters were aged ≥6 years and 90% vertically infected. HCV genotype 1 was the most common (n 380; 57.3%), followed by genotype 3, 4 and 2. Seventeen children (3%) with chronic HCV infection were diagnosed with cirrhosis, and six were reported to have received liver transplantation for HCV-related liver disease. The majority (n 425; 64.1%) of the European children with HCV infection remained treatment-naive in 2016. Age affected clinicians' attitudes towards treatment; 94% reported being willing to use direct-acting antivirals, if available, in adolescents (aged ≥11 years), 78% in children aged 6-10 and 42% in those 3-5 years of age (Pearson correlation coefficient −0.98; P 0.0001). This survey provides the largest characterisation of the population of children in clinical follow-up for chronic HCV infection in Europe, alongside important contextual information on their management and treatment. Discussion is needed around strategies and criteria for use of direct-acting antivirals in these children.
2019
26
961
968
Indolfi G.; Bailey H.; Serranti D.; Giaquinto C.; Thorne C.; Sokal E.; Debray D.; Girard M.; Feiterna-Sperling C.; Wirth S.; Guidi R.; Verucchi G.; D'...espandi
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/1243401
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