Table 1 Basic characteristics of included studies

Abbas, Z (2016) [25]

Pakistan

72W

96W

2

IFN + NAs

21

16/5

26.4 ± 6.4

IFN

19

15/4

27 ± 7.4

Canbakan, B (2006) [26]

Turkey

48W

95W

2

IFN

12

8/4

43.83 ± 8.57

IFN + NAs

14

7/7

42.5 ± 11.02

Farci, P (1994) [27]

Italy

48W

96W

2

IFN

28

22/6

35 ± 8.4

No treatment

14

13/1

37 ± 12

Gaudin, J. L (1995) [28]

France

48W

24W

2

IFN

11

11/0

29.6 ± 17.3

No treatment

11

11/0

34.8 ± 39

Niro, G. A (2006) [29]

Italy

72W

96W

2

IFN

16

8/8

45.4 ± 8.8

IFN + NAs

22

15/7

43 ± 9.6

Porres, J. C (1989) [30]

Spain

24W

60W

2

IFN

10

7/3

25.8 ± 9.6

No treatment

10

8/2

31.2 ± 11.4

Rosina, F (1991) [31]

Italy

48W

96W

2

IFN

31

26/5

30 ± 2

No treatment

30

28/2

29 ± 2

Rosina, F (1990) [32]

Italy

48W

96W

2

IFN

26

23/3

31.04 (19–41)^a

No treatment

22

21/1

29.16 (18–59)^a

Wedemeyer, H (2011) [10]

Germany, Turkey, Greece

48W

72W

3

IFN + NAs

31

20/11

42 (23–59)^b

IFN

29

17/12

38 (17–62)^b

NAs

30

19/11

33 (21–55)^b

Wedemeyer, H (2019) [11]

Germany, Greece, Romania, Turkey

96W

365W

2

IFN + NAs

59

38/21

38.1 ± 12.3

IFN

61

41/20

42.1 ± 10.3

Wranke, A (2020) [33]

Germany, Greece, Turkey

48W

24W

3

IFN + NAs

19

NA

NA

IFN

20

NA

NA

NAs

21

NA

NA

Yurdaydin, C (2008) [23]

Turkey

48W

72W

3

NAs

17

15/2

38 (20–55)^b

IFN + NAs

14

10/4

35 (20–48)^b

IFN

8

8/0

46 (38–67)^b

Hepatera Ltd. (2016) [22]

Russia

48W

72W

4

IFN

15

5/10

34.7 ± 7.1

BLV + IFN

45

30/15

36.5 ± 6.7

BLV

15

11/4

42 ± 9.6

BLV + NAs

15

11/4

34.3 ± 7.2

Ltd, H. (2016) [24]

Russia, Germany

24W

48W

2

BLV + NAs

90

59/31

40.7 ± 9.7

NAs

28

20/8

38.5 ± 8.7