Derbala 2006.

Methods	Study design: randomised clinical trial.
Participants	Country: Egypt. Total number: 73 (seven participants did not continue the treatment). Age, years: 45.5. Sex (male): 31% to 33%. Comorbidity: bilharziasis. Genotype: four. Previous HCV treatment: naïve. Inclusion criteria: chronic active hepatitis C as evidenced by the following. Positive serological test for HCV‐Ab. Detectable serum HCV‐RNA. Elevated serum alanine transaminases. Histopathological criteria of chronic active hepatitis. Exclusion criteria. Patient with hepatocellular carcinoma. Positive serum pregnancy test and breast feeders. Coinfected patients with HBV, HIV. Patient with other chronic liver disease.
Interventions	Group A (n = 38). Drug: peginterferon alpha‐2a. Dosage: 180 µg. Ribavirin dose: 1200 mg daily. Group B (n = 35). Drug: INF 2a. Dosage: 3 MU three times. Ribavirin dose: 1200 mg daily.
Outcomes	Primary outcomes: end of treatment response, sustained virological response, adverse events.
Notes	Published article.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Comments: Method used to perform sequence generation is not mentioned.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Comments: Allocation concealment is not mentioned.
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Comments: Blinding to the outcome assessor is not mentioned.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Comments: Incomplete outcome data were addressed adequately.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Comment: All clinically relevant and reasonably expected outcomes were reported.
Other bias	Low risk	Comment: The trial seems to be free of other sources of bias.