Table 2.
Characteristics of 18 children with chronic hepatitis B who responded to therapy with either vitamin E or placebo. Response defined as anti-HBe seroconversion, loss of HBeAg and HBV-DNA < 400 copies/mL
| Vitamin E | Placebo | |
| Total | 16 | 2 |
| Sex (%) | ||
| Female | 10 (62.5) | 2 (100) |
| Male | 6 (37.5) | 0 |
| Age (yr) | 12.4 | 14.2 |
| Alanine transaminase level (%) | ||
| Normal | 8 (50) | 2 (100) |
| Elevated | 8 (50) | 0 |
| HBV-DNA (%) | ||
| < 1000 pg/mL | 12 (75) | 1 (50) |
| > 1000 pg/mL | 4 (25) | 1 (50) |
| Route of transmission (%) | ||
| Parenteral | 1 (6.3) | 0 |
| Vertical | 8 (50) | 0 |
| Unknown | 7 (43.7) | 2 (50) |
| Interferon alpha pretreatment (%) | 2 (11) | 0 |
| Lamivudine pretreatment (%) | 0 | 1 (50) |
| Dosage (%) | ||
| 200 IU Vitamin E | 0 | |
| 400 IU Vitamin E | 4 (25) | |
| 600 IU Vitamin E | 12 (75) | |
| HBeAg seroconversion after initiation of treatment | ||
| 6 mo | 6 | 0 |
| 12 mo | 7 | 1 |
| 18 mo | 3 | 1 |