Figure 1. Flow diagram of studies included in the systematic review.

^aMany studies met multiple exclusion criteria. Each study was coded under a single criterion only.

^bIncludes animal models, pediatric populations, patients who had previously undergone liver transplant, patients with chronic liver disease other than HCV monoinfection, evaluation of only specific subsets of populations with CHC.

^cIncludes studies that were descriptive papers only, studies that did not specifically evaluate for predictors of histologic or clinical progression, and studies that evaluated predictors that are not readily clinically available.

^dIncludes studies that focused on risk factors for the development of HCC only, and studies where some patients achieved SVR and the results were not stratified based on response to treatment.