Functional cure is associated with younger age in children undergoing antiviral treatment for active chronic hepatitis B

Background and Aims Functional cure is difficult to achieve using current antiviral therapies; moreover, limited data are available regarding treatment outcomes in children. This retrospective study aimed to assess the frequency of functional cure among children undergoing antiviral treatment for active chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods A total of 372 children aged 1–16 years, with active CHB were enrolled and underwent either nucleos(t)ide analog monotherapy or combination therapy with interferon-α (IFN-α) for 24–36 months. All children attended follow-up visits every 3 months. Functional cure was defined as evidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA loss, circulating hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) loss/seroconversion, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss. Results After 36 months of antiviral treatment and/or follow-up visits, children with CHB aged 1–