Review: interferon alpha-2b is effective for biochemical and virologic outcomes in acute hepatitis C virus infection.

S t u d y s e l e c t i o n Studies in any language were selected if they were randomized controlled trials that compared interferon with placebo or no treatment; examined patients with acute HCV infection; and included ≥ 1 of normalization of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity at the end of treatment (biochemical end treatment response [ETR]), sustained ALT normalization at the end of follow-up (biochemical sustained response [SR]), disappearance of serum HCV RNA by polymerase chain reaction assay at the end of treatment (virologic ETR), or disappearance of serum HCV RNA at the end of follow-up (virologic SR). Studies were excluded if patients had had liver transplantation or were coinfected with the hepatitis B virus or HIV.