Table 2. The effect of interferon-based therapy on risks of hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis complications.
| HCC (n = 10,058) | Esophageal variceal bleeding (n = 10,768) | Hepatic encephalopathy (n = 10,762) | Ascites (n = 10,642) | Cirrhosis (n = 8,964) | Any cirrhosis complication (n = 10,366) | |||
| IBT | HR (95% CI) | |||||||
| Unadjusted Model | Yes | 0.68 (0.42–1.09) | 0.70 (0.35–1.41) | 0.58 (0.32–1.06) | 0.41 (0.20–0.83)a | 0.87 (0.60–1.25) | 0.53 (0.32–0.89)a | |
| No | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Adjusted Model 1 | Yes | 0.53 (0.33–0.85)*a | 0.49 (0.24–1.00)* | 0.40 (0.22–0.73)*a | 0.27 (0.14–0.55)*a | – | 0.33 (0.20–0.54)*a | |
| No | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Adjusted Model 2 | Yes | 0.51 (0.32–0.82)†a | 0.43 (0.21–0.88)†a | 0.37 (0.20–0.67)†a | 0.27 (0.13–0.55)†a | 0.63 (0.43–0.91)§a | 0.34 (0.20–0.57)#a | |
| No | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Adjusted Model 3 | Yes | 0.50 (0.31–0.81)‡a | 0.45 (0.22–0.91)‡a | 0.38 (0.21–0.69)‡a | 0.28 (0.14–0.57)‡a | 0.63 (0.44–0.91)£a | 0.35 (0.21–0.59)‡a | |
| No | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
P<0.05. Tested by Cox regression. Sample sizes for each of the clinical outcomes indicate the number of subjects WITHOUT the diagnosis of that clinical outcome before and within 6 months after the HCV index date. * Adjusted for cirrhosis after the index day. † Adjusted for age, sex, hepatitis B, CRF, cirrhosis after the index day, and the number of ultrasonography examinations after the index day. #Adjusted age, sex, IHD, hepatitis B, CRF, cirrhosis after the index day, and the number of ultrasonography examinations after the index day. ‡ Adjusted for age, sex, diabetes mellitus, IHD, cerebrovascular disease, COPD, hepatitis B, CRF, cirrhosis after the index day, and the number of ultrasonography examinations after the index day. §Adjusted for age, sex, hepatitis B, CRF, and the number of ultrasonography examinations after the index day. £Adjusted for age, sex, diabetes mellitus, IHD, cerebrovascular disease, COPD, hepatitis B, CRF, and the number of ultrasonography examinations after the index day. Abbreviations: IBT, interferon-based therapy; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; IHD, ischemic heart diseases; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases; CRF, chronic renal failure.