CYCLOSPORINE TREATMENT FOR SEVERE STEROID RESISTANT ULCERATIVE COLITIS IN CHILDREN

WOS: 00027855010022

Autoimmune hepatitis and long-term disease course in children in Turkey, a single-center experience

WOS: 000379310600012PubMed ID: 27254777Introduction The aim of this study is to determine clinic and laboratory features, treatment protocols, treatment responses, and long term follow-up of children with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in a region of Turkey followed at Ege University. Materials and methods The records of 47 children with AIH between 1998 and 2012 were retrospectively analyzed for clinical profiles, treatment response, relapse rate, and long-term side effects. Results The median age of the children was 10 +/- 4.1 years (55.3% females). A total of 29 patients presented with chronic hepatitis (61.7%). According to the autoantibody profiles, 40 (85.1%) and seven (14.9%) cases were classified as type 1 and type 2, respectively. Presentation with acute hepatitis and chronic hepatitis was significantly higher in type 1 disease. Laboratory findings at presentation was found similar among races as well as AIH types (P>0.05). The prednisolone was used for remission induction in 37 patients; 86.4% (n: 32) achieved a complete response, 2.7% (n: 1) achieved a partial response, and four patients (10.8%) showed no response. Maintenance was attained by low-dose steroid plus thiopurine and relapse in steroid responders (n: 32) was 9.4% (n: 3) at 8, 12, and 48 months. A total of 36% (n: 24) had neither acute nor chronic treatment side effects. Bone marrow suppression was observed in five patients and hyperglycemia was observed in one patient (10.6 and 2.1%), respectively. Conclusion AIH type 1 prevails in children in a region of Turkey during the second decade of life. Low-dose corticosteroids combined with azathioprine are found. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 28:927-930 Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved