Table 1.
Patients characteristics at liver biopsy
| Parameter | Group A n=32 (Peg-IFNa + RBV + placebo) | Group B n=32 (Peg-IFNa + RBV + Silybin-Vit.E-Phospholipids) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age (years) | 45.2±6.7 | 46.4±6.9 | NS |
| Sex (M/F) | 19/13 | 18/14 | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 26.2±3.8 | 26.4±3.7 | NS |
| HCV exposure time (years) | 6.8±5.2 | 6.6±5.4 | NS |
| Route of transmission of HCV (no of patients) | |||
| Blood transfusion | 16 (50%) | 15 (46%) | NS |
| Intravenous drug abuse | 5 (15%) | 5 (15%) | NS |
| Occupational | 2 (6%) | 2 (6%) | NS |
| Unknown | 11 (34%) | 10 (31%) | NS |
| HCV genotype | |||
| 1a | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) | NS |
| 1b | 27 (84%) | 26 (81%) | NS |
| 2a | 2 (6%) | 1 (3%) | NS |
| 3a | 2 (6%) | 4 (12%) | NS |