Steroids in Fulminant Hepatitis A in the Pediatric Age Group

Summary

Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) in children is a potentially devastating disease. The mortality rate may reach 80-90% in the absence of liver transplantation. Liver injury is considered to be mainly immune mediated with augmentation of cytolytic pathways of infected hepatocytes. For that, it is suggested that corticosteroids modulate the activity of the disease by suppressing the immune system.

Timeline

Start

2015-01

Primary completion

2017-08

Completion

2017-09

Publications

• Background Cochran JB, Losek JD. Acute liver failure in children. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2007 Feb;23(2):129-35. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0b013e3180308f4b.
• Background Bernal W, Auzinger G, Dhawan A, Wendon J. Acute liver failure. Lancet. 2010 Jul 17;376(9736):190-201. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60274-7.
• Background Fujiwara K, Kojima H, Yasui S, Okitsu K, Yonemitsu Y, Omata M, Yokosuka O. Hepatitis A viral load in relation to severity of the infection. J Med Virol. 2011 Feb;83(2):201-7. doi: 10.1002/jmv.21958.
• Background Fujiwara K, Yasui S, Yonemitsu Y, Fukai K, Arai M, Imazeki F, Suzuki A, Suzuki H, Sadahiro T, Oda S, Yokosuka O. Efficacy of combination therapy of antiviral and immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of severe acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B. J Gastroenterol. 2008;43(9):711-9. doi: 10.1007/s00535-008-2222-5. Epub 2008 Sep 20.
• Background Lahuna O, Rastegar M, Maiter D, Thissen JP, Lemaigre FP, Rousseau GG. Involvement of STAT5 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5) and HNF-4 (hepatocyte nuclear factor 4) in the transcriptional control of the hnf6 gene by growth hormone. Mol Endocrinol. 2000 Feb;14(2):285-94. doi: 10.1210/mend.14.2.0423.
• Background Seshadri R, Feldman BM, Ilowite N, Cawkwell G, Pachman LM. The role of aggressive corticosteroid therapy in patients with juvenile dermatomyositis: a propensity score analysis. Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Jul 15;59(7):989-95. doi: 10.1002/art.23829.

Drugs

Indications