Biomarkers of liver injury for hepatitis clinical trials: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.

Background: Liver biopsy and virological end points are standard references for assessing the effect of viral hepatitis treatments. We aimed to review evidence-based published data of biomarkers that have been validated as non-invasive alternatives to biopsy as end points for HBV and HCV infection trials.

Methods: Studies were included if there were at least two repeated estimates of fibrosis per patient using biomarkers with at least two studies and a control group.

Impact of interferon-alpha treatment on liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B: an overview of published trials.

Background: The impact of interferon treatment in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on fibrosis progression in comparison with its natural history has yet to be assessed in any large-scale randomized studies. The present report is a review of the evidence-based data published so far.

Methods: Studies were included if they had at least two repeated estimates of liver fibrosis per patient treated with interferon-alpha (whether pegylated or not).