Table 1.
Characteristics of the enrolled patients
| Variable | Interferon-based therapy | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | ||
| N = 621 | N = 2460 | ||
| Sex, n (%) | 0.849 | ||
| Male | 351 (56.5) | 1380 (56.1) | |
| Female | 270 (43.5) | 1080 (43.9) | |
| Age, n (%) | 0.999 | ||
| 20 – 29 | 22 (3.5) | 84 (3.4) | |
| 30 – 39 | 54 (8.7) | 217 (8.8) | |
| 40 – 49 | 123 (19.8) | 485 (19.7) | |
| 50 – 59 | 231 (37.2) | 906 (36.8) | |
| 60 – 69 | 154 (24.8) | 620 (25.2) | |
| ≧70 | 37 (6.0) | 148 (6.0) | |
| Comorbid disease, n (%) | |||
| Human immunodeficiency virus infection | 2 (0.3) | 12 (0.5) | 0.583 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 41 (6.6) | 128 (5.2) | 0.171 |
| Connective tissue disease | 182 (29.3) | 702 (28.5) | 0.704 |
| Silicosis | 1 (0.2) | 1 (0.04) | 0.615 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 126 (20.3) | 449 (18.3) | 0.244 |
| End stage renal disease | 7 (1.1) | 83 (3.4) | *0.003 |
| Malignancy | 38 (6.1) | 102 (4.1) | *0.035 |
| Liver disease, n (%) | |||
| Non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis | 99 (15.9) | 214 (8.7) | *<0.001 |
| Alcoholic liver cirrhosis | 7 (1.1) | 27 (1.1) | 0.949 |
| Other alcoholic liver disease | 11 (1.8) | 28 (1.1) | 0.207 |
| Liver disease severity, n (%) | |||
| Ascites | 4 (0.6) | 19 (0.8) | 0.740 |
| Esophageal varices | 4 (0.6) | 20 (0.8) | 0.668 |
| Hepatic encephalopathy | 0 (0) | 16 (0.7) | *0.043 |
*means P < 0.05.