Table 1

Clinical backgrounds of the initial six patients

	Normalised ALT group			Abnorml ALT group
	Patient 1	Patient 2	Patient 3		Patient 4	Patient 5	Patient 6
Age (y)	51	42	61		63	53	58
Sex (M/F)	F	M	M		F	M	M
Pretreatment serum ALT (IU/l)	98	93	129		56	92	106
ALT at final IFN session (IU/l)	10	10	24		47	109	49
Platelet count (×104/mm³)	13.8	17.4	20.9		19.2	10.5	15.5
HCV-RNA (Meq/ml)^1-150	11	<0.5	11		7.6	15	10
Histological findings^1-151
Activity	2	1	2		2	2	3
Fibrosis	3	1	2		3	3	3

↵1-150 HCV-RNA levels were determined by a branched chain DNA assay.
↵1-151 Histological findings were classified according to the criteria described by Enomoto and colleagues.12
ALT, alanine aminotransferase; HCV, hepatitis C virus; IFN, interferon.