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Meta-Analysis
. 2002 Oct;92(10):1619-28.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.92.10.1619.

Chinese herbal medicine and interferon in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials

Michael McCulloch  1 , Michael Broffman, Jin Gao, John M Colford Jr
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Chinese herbal medicine and interferon in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials

Michael McCulloch et al. Am J Public Health. 2002 Oct.

Abstract

Objectives: This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine (either alone or with interferon alfa) in treating chronic hepatitis B.

Methods: We searched the TCMLARS, AMED, CISCOM, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Collaboration databases and then hand-searched the articles' bibliographies.

Results: Chinese herbal medicine significantly increased seroreversion of HBsAg and was equivalent to interferon alfa in seroreversion of HBeAg and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA; Chinese herbal medicine combined with interferon alfa significantly increased seroreversion of HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV DNA. The Chinese herbal medicine active component bufotoxin combined with interferon alfa significantly increased HBeAg and HBV DNA seroreversion. The Chinese herbal medicine active component kurorinone was equivalent to interferon alfa in seroreversion of HBeAg and HBV DNA.

Conclusions: Although the quality of existing studies was poor, these data suggest that further trials of Chinese Herbal Medicine and interferon in chronic hepatitis B infection are justified.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
—Meta-analysis forest plots for seroreversion among patients with chronic hepatitis B infection treated with Chinese herbal medicine: pooled relative risks and 95% confidence intervals, by trial.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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