Table 3.

Anti-fibrosis effect of combinations of single compound and formulae or Chinese medicines and conventional medicines

Combination of drugs and major references	Clinical indications and pharmacological actions or side effects
ITF-α. injection + glycyrrhizin (Stronger Neo Minophagen C) injection [109]	CHC patients. With IFN therapy, ALT levels did not decrease more than 50%, while with IFN combined with SNMC therapy, ALT levels decreased approximately 70% in all patients (one became normal), but no other parameters were changed.
Ursodeoxycholic acid P.O + glycyrrhizin P.O [110]	CHC patients belong to interferon-resistant or unstable patients. Improving liver-specific enzyme abnormalities: AST, ALT and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, no change HCV-related factors or liver histology compared with control.
Matrine injection + Xiao Chaihu Tang P.O [111]	Liver fibrosis patients. Combination therapy improves AST, ALT and reduces HA, LN, CIV, TGF-β1 and TNF-α.
IFN-γ or IFN-α. injection + Xiao Chaihu Tang (Sho-saiko-to) P.O [112-115]	CHB patients. Combination therapy improves AST, ALT, Tbil and has synergistic anti-fibrosis in biochemical parameters, but IFN and/or Sho-saiko-to may also induce acute interstitial pneumonitis.
Tiopronin P.O + Xiao Chaihu Tang P.O [116]	CHB patients. Synergistic effects in improving liver functions and fibrotic factors.
Lamivudine + Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae [117]	CHB patients. Treatment with both drugs was better than one and more effective than the control group in parameters of liver function and liver fibrosis.
Bushen Granule (BSG) P.O + Marine Injection (MI) [118]	CHB patients. Combined treatment of BSG and MI was better than Lamivudine group in one year therapeutical course.