الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 132 |  |  |
| | | from | 132 | | |
Abstract
infection is to get vaccinated. There are two types of vaccines contain either inactivated hepatitis A virus or a live but attenuated virus. Both provide active immunity against a future infection. The vaccine protects against HAV in more than 95% of cases for longer than 25 years. Vaccination of children is recommended at 1 and 2 years of age. It is also recommended in those who have not been previously immunized and who have been exposed or are likely to be exposed due to travel. Several injectable inactivated hepatitis A vaccines are available internationally. All are similar in terms of how well they protect people from the virus and their side-effects. No vaccine is licensed for children younger than 1 year of age. Nearly 100% of people develop protective levels of antibodies to the virus within 1 month after injection of a single dose of vaccine. Even after exposure to the virus a single dose of the vaccine within 2 weeks of contact with the virus has protective effects. Still manufacturers recommend 2 vaccine doses to ensure a longer-term protection of about 5 to 8 years after vaccination. No specific treatment for hepatitis A is known. Recovery from symptoms following infection may take several weeks or months. In most cases no specific therapy is given for acute hepatitis the child’s own immune system will fight and overcome the infecting virus. Supportive care for child which can include rest, well-balanced diet, a lot of fluids and symptomatic treatment. Prognosis in general is excellent, the Symptoms usually last less than 2 months, a few persons are ill for as long as 6 months. Recovery is usually complete but It can range in severity from a mild form (a mild illness lasting a few weeks) to a severe illness (lasting several months). During hepatic viral infection tissue damage and liver failure may occur but this is relatively rare.
Aim of this work is to assess the level of mean platelet volume in children with acute hepatitis A.
Mean platelet volume is one of the platelet function markers that reflect platelet production rate and stimulation. It also reflects the existence of thrombotic and inflammatory processes also play a role in the activation of hemostasis and in the production of inflammation and cytokines, they are modulators of inflammation. Platelets are not only required for primary hemostasis, they also play an important pro-inflammatory role Platelets are activated by different cytokines. IL-6 and TNF-a contribute to the inflammatory process by which the platelets are activated after degranulation, the size of the platelets is reduced. Anti-TNF-a agents increase MPV and the size of the platelets Platelet size varies depending on the platelet function and activity. MPV can be easily measured by whole blood sample one of complete blood picture results. Nowadays, MPV is a marker widely used to detect platelet function and activity and acute phase reactant.
Our study was conducted on 200 Egyptian children divided in to two groups patient group and control group, patient group was 100 of children aged from 2 to 14 years (58 males and 42 females) previously diagnosed as hepatitis A patients (The diagnosis of HAV infection was based on anti-HAV IgM positivity) and control group was 100 of children (57 males and 43 females) apparently healthy age and sex matched children with exclusion of patients with any other infectious disease or chronic disease including hematologic and hepatic diseases, the use of any drugs that might change platelet activity and function, and the presence of diabetes mellitus, asthma, malignancies and chronic diseases, patients with total bilirubin more than 10 mg/dl and Children with any sign of infection or systemic illness were excluded from the control group. All patients were subjected to the following (Full history, full clinical examination, anthropometric measurements for calculation of body mass index (BMI), investigations done were Complete Blood Count (including platelet count (PC), RBCS, H.B and MPV), the reference range for MPV was between 7.0 Fl and 11 Fl, C. reactive protein (CRP), serum bilirubin level (total and direct) and liver function tests (ALT - AST) erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and prothrombin time (PT) and INR.