Resumo

HELLER-ROUASSANT, Solange  e  VALENCIA-MAYORAL, Pedro. Hepatitis C in children: Present overview. Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant. Mex. [online]. 2009, vol.66, n.2, pp.189-203. ISSN 1665-1146.

Hepatitis C (HC) is an important cause of chronic hepatic disease worldwide. HC virus has a complex genetic diversity, with 6 genotypes of which genotype 1 is the most frequent, followed by genotypes 2 and 3. At the present time, perinatal transmission is the most frequent source of infection in children. Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is in general silent, and abnormal aminotransferases in serum are frequently found. Diagnosis of CHC might be suspected with clinical data and biochemical abnormalities, and confirmed by serological studies of anti-HC antibodies, molecular qualitative and quantitative virus detection, histological features of inflammation, steatosis, fibrosis and cirrhosis, and biochemical markers of fibrosis and inflammation that can offer a non-invasive tool for diagnosis. Currently, the best therapeutic option for CHC treatment is the prolonged use of a combination of pegilated interferon and ribavirin, which has been associated to a better percentage of sustained viral response that with interferon monotherapy. The main preventive measure for HC is a strict control of blood transfusions which has reduced the incidence of HC. Research is in progress to develop HC vaccines that will have a preventive and therapeutic role in the control of HC virus infection.

Palavras-chave : Hepatitis C virus; chronic viral hepatitis; interferon.

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