CHB Children of Different Ethnic Origins

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J Infect Dis 2002 Aug 1;186(3):295-301 Long-Term Follow-up of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Children of Different Ethnic Origins. Marx G, Martin SR, Chicoine JF, Alvarez F Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal, Canada. [email protected] [Medline record in process] The natural history of chronic hepatitis B in children is influenced by mode of transmission and varies with regional endemicity. Seroconversion rates were studied in 174 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive children who were of different ethnic origins and living in Canada. Overall, 40.2% became anti-HBeAg positive, and 8.6% were hepatitis B surface-antigen positive during a mean follow-up of 4.5 years. Spontaneous seroconversion rates were lower in Asian-born, mainly vertically infected, children, versus those born either in Canada or where horizontal transmission predominates (24% vs. 44%, P=.015). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the cumulative persistence of HBeAg after 13 years was 25% in Asian-born children, versus 6% in all others (P<.05). Treatment of 27 children accelerated seroconversion by 3 years,