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. 2019 Jun 24;2019(6):CD013106. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013106.pub2

Liang 2006.

Methods Randomised clinical trial, China
Parallel group design
Participants 68 participants diagnosed as chronic hepatitis B according to Chinese guidelines 2000 (CMA 2001), with HBeAg positive and HBsAg positive for > 6 months, HBV‐DNA positive twice in succession, serum ALT level > 2 times upper normal limit but < 10 times upper normal limit
Male:female: 56:12
Mean age: 34.5 years
Exclusion criteria: hepatitis A, C, D, or E virus infection, or HIV coinfection; decompensated cirrhosis; obvious heart, brain, or kidney diseases history; psychological diseases and diabetes history; excessive drinking and drug abuse history; pregnant or lactating women; used antiviral drug and other immunomodulators during past 1 year.
Interventions Experimental intervention: kushensu capsules, 200 mg, 3 times daily, 3 months (n = 34)
Control intervention: tiopronin tablets, 200 mg, 3 times daily, 3 months (n = 34)
Cointervention: glucuronolactone, 400 mg, once daily; plus vitamin B and vitamin C
Post‐treatment follow‐up: 6 months
Outcomes Adverse events considered 'not to be serious;' HBV‐DNA; liver (function) tests (ALT level); HBeAg seroconversion
Notes Study dates: not reported
Funding information: author did not report this information.
Notes: we contacted the authors on 26 September 2018 by telephone and received no reply.
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Used computer software to generate random sequence.
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Not reported
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes High risk Not reported, but experimental drug was in capsule form while the control drug was in tablet form, which can easily unseal the blinding.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk Not reported
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Number of participants included in the analysis was equal to the number of participants randomised; no missing data.
Selective reporting (reporting bias) High risk We could not find protocol of this study. Author did not report any data on the 3 primary outcomes.
Other bias Low risk No other potential sources of bias