Retrospective evaluation of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in naive children with chronic hepatitis c infection

Object: Hepatitis C Virus is an important infectious disease that can lead to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Chronic hepatitis C infection has a slow course, so the risk of end-stage liver disease or hepatocellular cancer in children is not high. However, it is recommended that children should be treated after the identification of Hepatitis C Virus infection. It is still an important health problem all over the world because of lack of vaccination and treatment causes serious financial burden and cause hepatic/extrahepatic complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the patients followed with the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C in the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Clinic of Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine and to determine the treatment and treatment outcomes. Material and Method: In this study, 53 pediatric patients who were followed up with the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C in the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Clinic of Balcalı Hospital between 2003-2018 were examined. Demographic and clinical characteristics, biochemical, serological and virological results, treatment approaches, treatment responses, side effects and complications were evaluated. Results: 53 children with chronic hepatitis C were evaluated. While 36 (67,9 %) of the patients were asymptomatic at the time of admission, 17 (32,1 %) had various symptoms and 26,4 % of the symptoms were weakness. Hepatitis C was found in 6 (11,3 %) of the patients and in the siblings of 7 (13,2 %). Treatment was given to 34 patients (64,2 %). Of the 28 patients who had finished treatment, 14 had permanent viral response, 6 had no response and 8 had no follow-up. Treatment of 12 patients (35,2 %) of citizens is Turkey 8 (66,6 %) in the sustained viral response is received, 22 (64,8 %) of citizens is the refugees from Syria 6 (27,2 %), permanent viral response rates were found to be both proportional and statistically significant (p = 0,036). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, if children with chronic hepatitis C meet the treatment criteria, treatment should be given. Treatment compliance of patients treated should be checked with regular follow-up. In our study, the success of treatment was negatively affected by the high number of asylum seekers in the study. Compliance with the use of direct-acting antivirals has increased, and treatment-enduring viral response rates have increased, but more detailed studies are needed in child patient groups with direct-acting antivirals. Key words: hepatitis C virus, infected, antiviral treatment, permanent viral response