EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND HEPATITIS C MICRO-ELIMINATION IN CHILDREN: EXPERIENCE OF TOMSK REGION



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Abstract

Viral hepatitis holds a leading place among infectious diseases. The morbidity rate of chronic hepatitis C (HСV) among children in the Russian Federation is 1.29 per 100,000 population [10]. Increasing access to antiviral therapy in childhood contributes to achieving the global health goal on HСV elimination.

Objective. To summarize the epidemiological characteristics, clinical features of chronic hepatitis C in children, and to evaluate the effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment in the pediatric cohort of the Tomsk region.

Materials and methods. The study included all children under 18 years of age diagnosed with chronic HCV and recorded in medical organizations of the Tomsk region. All children underwent standardized screening and were treated with DAAs according to the «Clinical guidelines for chronic viral hepatitis C in children (ID: 824)» [6].  

Results. HCV was first diagnosed in children aged 0 to 3 years in 94.4% of cases (n=34). The median disease duration was 5 [3;8] years; 4 children were diagnosed within one year. Alanine aminotransferase activity levels did not exceed age-specific reference values; in 4 patients, mild cytolytic activity within five age-specific reference values was observed. Minimal viral load was found in 55.6% of patients, while 25% subjects exhibited high viraemia. Correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between viremia level and disease duration (r=0.46, p<0.05). HCV genotypes 1 and 3 were found at similar frequencies (48% and 44%, respectively). All patients treated with DAAs achieved undetectable HCV RNA levels and showed normalized ALT levels post-therapy, demonstrating sustained virological response.

Conclusion. Expanding access to treatment and use of DAAs in children enabled HCV micro-elimination in the pediatric population within two years.

About the authors

Yuliya Alexandrovna Ermolaeva

Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russia

Author for correspondence.
Email: euassmu@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3043-9121
SPIN-code: 5901-4190

Associate Professor, Ph.D. of Medical Sciences, member of IPO «EASID», «NASID», Chief Infection Specialist, Tomsk Region Health Department, Associate Professor of the of the Department of Pediatrics with Endocrinology course of the Siberian State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Russian Federation

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