Author information
1
Paediatric and Liver Unit, Meyer Children's University Hospital of Florence, Firenze, Italy.
2
Pediatric Liver Service Hospital Infantil Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
3
First Department of Paediatrics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
4
Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicines, Medical University Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 15, Graz, Austria.
5
Pediatric Centre, Hepatology, and Transplantation AP-HP, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
6
Paediatric Gastrointestinal, Liver and Nutrition Centre Variety Children's Hospital King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Denmark Hill Camberwell London.
7
The Children's Memorial Health Institute, Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Feeding Disorders and Pediatrics, Warsaw, Poland.
8
Liver Unit (Including Small Bowel Transplantation), Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Birmingham Children's Hospital, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, B4 6NH, UK.
9
Schneider Children's Medical Center, Israel.
10
Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 EA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
11
UCL, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Brussels, Belgium.
12
Dept of Pediatrics, Center for Liver, Digestive, and Metabolic Diseases, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
13
Department of Paediatrics, Karolinska University Hospital, CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
In 2017, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the fixed-dose combination of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir and of the combination of sofosbuvir and ribavirin for treatment of adolescents (12-17 years, weighing more than 35 kg) with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1, 4, 5 and 6 and genotype 2 and 3 infections, respectively. Although trials with direct acting antivirals (DAAs) are ongoing for younger children, the only available treatment in US and Europe for those < 12 years is still the dual therapy of pegylated interferon (PEG IFN) and ribavirin. There is currently a lack of a systematic approach to the care of these patients. The Hepatology Committee of the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) developed an evidence-based position paper for the management of chronic HCV infection in children.
METHODS:
A systematic literature search and meta-analysis were performed using MEDLINE and Embase from June 1, 2007 to June 1, 2017. The approach of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was applied to evaluate outcomes. ESPGHAN Hepatology Committee members voted on each recommendation, using the nominal voting technique.
RESULTS:
The efficacy of the different DAAs combinations tested was higher, the relapse and the treatment discontinuation rates lower when compared to PEG IFN and ribavirin.
CONCLUSIONS:
This position paper addresses therapeutic management issues including goals, endpoints, indications, contra-indications and the optimal treatment regimen in children with chronic HCV infection.