Database	Searched	Strategy
The Cochrane Hepato‐Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register	May 2005	interferon AND (glucocorticosteroid* OR glucocorticoid* OR corticosteroid* OR corticoid* OR steroid* OR predniso*) AND 'chronic hepatitis B'
The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in The Cochrane Library	Issue 2, 2005	#1 ALPHA‐INTERFERON explode all trees (MeSH)1441 #2 (interferon and (alpha or alfa))3505 #3 GLUCOCORTICOIDS explode all trees (MeSH)1755 #4 CORTICOSTEROIDS explode all trees (MeSH)5149 #5 STEROIDS explode all trees (MeSH)24818 #6 PREDNISOLONE explode all trees (MeSH)2450 #7 PREDNISONE explode all trees (MeSH)2114 #8 (glucocorticosteroid* or glucocorticoid* or corticosteroid* or corticoid* or steroid* or predniso*)21160 #9 CHRONIC HEPATITIS B explode all trees (MeSH)210 #10 (chronic next hepatitis next b)893 #11 (#1 or #2)3505 #12 (#3 or #4 or #5 or #6 or #7 or #8)37888 #13 (#9 or #10)930 #14 (#11 and #12 and #13)67
MEDLINE	1950 to May 2005	#1 13851 explode "Interferon‐alpha"/ all subheadings #2 40276 interferon and al*a #3 40276 #1 or #2 #4 28215 explode "Glucocorticoids"/ all subheadings #5 133387 explode "Adrenal‐Cortex‐Hormones"/ all subheadings #6 489062 explode "Steroids"/ all subheadings #7 24716 explode "Prednisone"/ all subheadings #8 30539 explode "Prednisolone"/ all subheadings #9 300327 glucocorticosteroid* or glucocorticoid* or corticosteroid* or corticoid* or steroid* or predniso* #10 656202 #4 or #5 or #6 or #7 or #8 or #9 #11 2885 explode "Hepatitis‐B‐Chronic"/ all subheadings #12 6243 chronic hepatitis b #13 6243 #11 or #12 #14 109 #3 and #10 and #13 #15 500798 random* or placebo* or blind* or meta‐analysis #16 33 #14 and #15
EMBASE	1980 to May 2005	#1 22399 explode "alpha‐interferon"/ all subheadings #2 52056 interferon and al*a #3 52056 #1 or #2 #4 226381 explode "glucocorticoid"/ all subheadings #5 289904 explode "corticosteroid"/ all subheadings #6 307575 explode "steroid"/ all subheadings #7 58687 explode "prednisone"/ all subheadings #8 39710 explode "prednisolone"/ all subheadings #9 301271 glucocorticosteroid* or glucocorticoid* or corticosteroid* or corticoid* or steroid* or predniso* #10 480065 #4 or #5 or #6 or #7 or #8 or #9 #11 20197 explode "hepatitis‐B"/ all subheadings #12 4371 chronic hepatitis b #13 21160 #11 or #12 #14 433 #3 and #10 and #13 #15 427249 random* or placebo* or blind* or meta‐analysis #16 94 #14 and #15
BIOSIS	1969 to May 2005	#1 46566 interferon and al*a #2 4367 explode "Glucocorticoid‐drug" #3 669994 glucocorticosteroid* or glucocorticoid* or corticosteroid* or corticoid* or steroid* or predniso* #4 669994 #2 or #3 #5 6240 chronic hepatitis b #6 95 #1 and #4 and #5 #7 361800 random* or placebo* or blind* or meta‐analysis #8 34 #6 and #7