Table 1.
Base-line characteristics of the patients
| Group | ||
|---|---|---|
| Variable | Ribavirin + IFN-α | IFN-α |
| N° of patients | 16 | 9 |
| Mean age (years) | 50 | 57 |
| Sex (M/F) | 8/8 | 5/4 |
| Genotype (no. of patients) | ||
| 1b | 12 | 7 |
| not 1b | 4 | 2 |
| ALT (mU/ml) | 127 ± 88 | 142 ± 74 |
| HCV RNA levels (copies/ml × 103) | 796 ± 674 | 897 ± 741 |
| Years from the first diagnosis of | 5·4 | 6·6 |
| HCV-related liver disease | ||
| Histological grading (no. of patients)* | ||
| 1–7 | 9 | 4 |
| 8–15 | 7 | 5 |
| Histological staging (no. of patients) | ||
| 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 3 | 8 | 3 |
| 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | 2 | 1 |
Note. Data are expressed as mean ± SD ALT, alanine aminotransferase (normal range < 40 mU/ml).