Psychiatric side effects of pegylated interferon alfa-2b as compared to conventional interferon alfa-2b in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Table 1 Patient characteristics.

Characteristic	Total sample n = 98	Peginterferon + ribavirin n = 50	Interferon alfa-2b + ribavirin n = 48	P
Age (yr)
Mean±SD	40.3±10.0	43.2±7.8	41.8±9.1	0.112
Range	(18-65)	(23-63)	(18-65)
Sex, n (%)
Women	46 (46.9)	26 (52.0)	20 (41.7)	0.306
Men	52 (53.1)	24 (48.0)	28 (58.3)
Body Weight (kg)
Mean±SD	74.6±16.3	73.4±16.4	75.9±16.2	0.439
Range	(47-132)	(48-115)	(47-132)
Acquisition Mode, n (%)
Unknown	29 (29.6)	18 (36.0)	11 (22.9)	0.263
IVDU	53 (54.1)	26 (52.0)	27 (56.3)
Post Transfusion	16 (16.3)	6 (12.0)	10 (20.8)
Virus Genotype, n (%)
Genotype 1	51 (52.0)	26 (52.0)	25 (52.1)	0.46
Genotype 2	12 (12.3)	7 (14.0)	5 (10.4)
Genotype 3	33 (33.7)	15 (30.0)	18 (37.5)
Genotype 4	2 (2.0)	2 (4.0)	0 (0.0)
Liver Damage, 1n (%)
Hepatitis only	47 (50.0)	18 (38.3)	29 (61.8)	0.065
Fibrosis	26 (27.7)	17 (36.2)	9 (19.1)
Cirrhosis	21 (22.3)	12 (25.5)	9 (19.1)
Sustained Virological Response, n (%)
Responder	52 (53.1)	28 (56.0)	24 (50.0)
Nonresponder	46 (46.9)	22 (44.0)	24 (50.0)	0.552

¹In 4 patients treated with conventional interferon alfa-2b, liver biopsy was not performed.