Natural interferon-beta treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C in Japan

Table 1 Results of natural interferon-beta plus ribavirin for patients with chronic hepatitis C in Japan

Ref.	G	No. of patients	Naïve (%)	Age (yr, mean ± SD)/gender (male) (%)	Formula of treatment	SVR rates (%)
Katamura et al[37]	1	11	4 (36)	57/(64)	Natural interferon-beta plus ribavirin for 48 wk	27
	1	22	8 (36)	54/(64)	Peginterferon-alpha plus ribavirin for 48 wk	41
Arase et al[38]	1	40	12 (30)	51.9 ± 10.0/(70)	Natural interferon-beta plus ribavirin for 48 wk	38
Arase et al[39]	2	24	12 (50)	55.9 ± 10.2/(46)	Natural interferon-beta plus ribavirin for 24 wk	88
Arase et al[42]	1	14	0 (0)	62.1 ± 4.3/(43)	Natural interferon-beta plus ribavirin for 48 wk	38
Arase et al[44]	1	23	11 (48)	68.1 ± 2.6/(30)	Natural interferon-beta plus reduction-dose-ribavirin for 48 wk	39
	1	22	7 (32)	66.9 ± 3.0/(68)	Natural interferon-beta plus standard-dose-ribavirin for 48 wk	27
Arase et al[47]	2	33	20 (60)	70.4 ± 3.7/(24)	Natural interferon-beta plus ribavirin for 24 wk	75
Nomura et al[48]	1	21	21 (100)	71.8 ± 5.1/(46)	Natural interferon-beta plus ribavirin	29
	2	18	18 (100)		Natural interferon-beta plus ribavirin	72
	1	21	21 (100)	69.1 ± 3.5/(48)	Peginterferon-alpha plus ribavirin	29
	2	18	18 (100)		Peginterferon-alpha plus ribavirin	86

HCV: Hepatitis C virus; G: HCV genotype; SVR: Sustained virological response.