Reduction of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen May Be More Significant in PEGylated Interferon-Alpha Therapy Combined with Nucleotide Analogues than Combined with Nucleoside Analogues in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients: A Propensity Score Matching Study

Table 1

Baseline characteristics of the patients before and after PSM.

Variables	Before PSM				After PSM
	PegIFNα + NSs (n = 18)	PegIFNα + NTs (n = 77)			PegIFNα + NSs (n = 18)	PegIFNα + NTs (n = 36)
	PegIFNα + ETV (n = 18)	PegIFNα + ADV (n = 40)	PegIFNα + TDF (n = 37)		PegIFNα + ETV (n = 18)	PegIFNα + ADV (n = 18)	PegIFNα + TDF (n = 18)
NAs-experienced^c	10 (55.6)	30 (39.0)		0.199	10 (55.6)	13 (36.1)		0.173
	10 (55.6)	13 (32.5)	17 (45.9)	0.215	10 (55.6)	6 (33.3)	7 (38.9)	0.374
Duration of NAs before combined with PegIFNα (week)^b	96 (42–168)	48 (14–192)		0.397	96 (42–168)	96 (10–384)		0.948
	96 (42–168)	96 (24–384)	48 (11–60)	0.085	96 (42–168)	384 (170–456)	32 (9–96)	0.105
Weeks of adding-on PegIFNα (week)^a	10.33 ± 13.90	10.94 ± 12.49		0.857	10.33 ± 13.90	11.67 ± 11.88		0.715
	10.33 ± 13.90	12.03 ± 11.58	9.76 ± 13.45	0.728	10.33 ± 13.90	13.33 ± 11.56	10.00 ± 12.29	0.685
Total weeks of combination (week)^a	36.50 ± 13.86	36.60 ± 12.74		0.977	36.50 ± 13.86	36.33 ± 13.86		0.964
	36.50 ± 13.86	35.09 ± 12.02	38.24 ± 13.44	0.564	36.50 ± 13.86	34.7 ± 11.56	38.0 ± 12.29	0.731
Age (years)^a	37.2 ± 6.3	34.8 ± 7.7		0.222	37.22 ± 6.32	34.56 ± 6.43		0.154
	37.2 ± 6.3	35.5 ± 13.9	34.1 ± 8.5	0.332	37.22 ± 6.32	34.56 ± 6.0	34 ± 6.9	0.260
Male^c	17 (94.4)	59 (76.6)		0.169	17 (94.4)	29 (80.6)		0.343
	17 (94.4)	31 (77.5)	28 (75.7)	0.230	17 (94.4)	15 (83.3)	14 (77.8)	0.318
HBeAg-positive^c	13 (72.2)	65 (84.4)		0.382	13 (72.2)	29 (80.6)		0.728
	13 (72.2)	33 (82.5)	32 (86.5)	0.431	13 (72.2)	14 (77.8)	15 (83.3)	0.725
BMI (kg/cm^2)^a	23.64 ± 2.04	22.53 ± 2.60		0.205	23.67 ± 2.04	22.38 ± 1.78		0.072
	23.64 ± 2.04	22.66 ± 2.58	22.40 ± 2.66	0.887	23.67 ± 2.04	22.3 ± 1.9	22.5 ± 1.7	0.195
WBC (×10^9/L)^a	5.1 ± 0.7	5.2 ± 1.3		0.259	5.8 ± 1.5	5.2 ± 1.3		0.113
	5.1 ± 0.7	5.1 ± 1.5	5.3 ± 0.9	0.245	5.8 ± 1.5	5.2 ± 1.7	5.2 ± 0.8	0.287
NEUT (%)^b	62 (53–67)	55 (48–63)		0.076	58 (51–68)	56 (48–63)		0.246
	62 (53–67)	57 (48–63)	57 (48–63)	0.174	58 (51–68)	55 (50–63)	56 (47–64)	0.510
RBC (×10^9/L)^a	5.8 ± 1.2	4.8 ± 0.5		0.351	5.1 ± 0.4	4.9 ± 0.2		0.144
	5.8 ± 1.2	4.9 ± 0.4	5.0 ± 0.6	0.308	5.1 ± 0.4	4.9 ± 0.1	4.9 ± 0.3	0.287
HGb (g/L)^a	156 ± 10	152 ± 14		0.260	156 ± 10	152 ± 14		0.244
	156 ± 10	152 ± 14	153 ± 15	0.504	156 ± 10	152 ± 15	152 ± 14	0.510
PLT (×10^9/L)^a	198 ± 47	193 ± 42		0.671	198 ± 47	191 ± 43		0.582
	198 ± 47	185 ± 44	202 ± 38	0.223	198 ± 47	182 ± 43	201 ± 41	0.392
ALB (U/L)^a	48 ± 3	46 ± 4		0.169	48 ± 3	46 ± 4		0.091
	48 ± 3	46 ± 3	47 ± 4	0.109	48 ± 3	46 ± 4	46 ± 4	0.203
ALT (U/L)^b	48 (32–153)	97 (34–209)		0.269	48 (32–153)	99 (34–234)		0.210
	48 (32–153)	111 (34–263)	90 (35–183)	0.340	48 (32–153)	97 (34–279)	101 (35–202)	0.407
ALT > ULN^c	11 (61.1)	50 (69.4)		0.499	11 (61.1)	24 (70.6)		0.488
	11 (61.1)	26 (72.2)	24 (66.7)	0.700	11 (61.1)	12 (70.6)	12 (70.6)	0.786
AST (U/L)^b	27 (23–75)	48 (23–94)		0.214	27 (23–75)	53 (25–102)		0.136
	27 (23–75)	48 (22–98)	47 (24–91)	0.415	27 (23–75)	42 (22–111)	57 (26–99)	0.314
GGT (U/L)^b	23 (18–63)	18 (26–47)		0.980	23 (18–63)	33 (20–53)		0.610
	23 (18–63)	29 (17–57)	24 (20–35)	0.958	23 (18–63)	36 (18–58)	32 (22–45)	0.860
TBIL (μmol/L)^a	13.1 ± 7.5	13.1 ± 7.0		0.980	13.1 ± 7.5	14.1 ± 9.0		0.677
	13.1 ± 7.5	12.4 ± 4.5	13.9 ± 8.9	0.676	13.1 ± 7.5	13.2 ± 4.7	15.1 ± 12.2	0.745
HBsAg (log10 IU/mL)^a	3.25 ± 1.05	3.64 ± 0.91		0.116	3.25 ± 1.05	3.71 ± 0.86		0.091
	3.25 ± 1.05	3.67 ± 0.90	3.61 ± 0.93	0.282	3.25 ± 1.05	3.77 ± 1.0	3.66 ± 0.7	0.228
HBsAg > 250 IU/mL^c	15 (83.3)	71 (92.2)		0.477	15 (83.3)	33 (91.7)		0.388
	15 (83.3)	36 (90.0)	35 (94.6)	0.417	15 (83.3)	16 (88.9)	17 (94.4)	0.557
HBeAg (s/co)^a	411.38 ± 517.81	510.20 ± 617.34		0.552	411.38 ± 517.81	449.20 ± 616.64		0.832
	411.38 ± 517.81	606.30 ± 95.87	406.40 ± 621.28	0.303	411.38 ± 517.81	568.45 ± 639.86	329.96 ± 585.93	0.469
HBV DNA (log10 IU/mL)^a	4.68 ± 2.30	5.41 ± 2.21		0.241	4.68 ± 2.30	5.48 ± 2.20		0.249
	4.68 ± 2.30	5.78 ± 2.13	4.68 ± 2.29	0.214	4.68 ± 2.30	5.66 ± 2.18	5.33 ± 2.28	0.479

^aVariables are expressed as mean ± SD; ^bvariables are expressed as median (IQR); ^cvariables are expressed as n (%). ADV, adefovir dipivoxil; ALB, albumin; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate transaminase; BMI, body mass index; ETV, entecavir; GGT, gamma glutamyl transferase; HBeAg, hepatitis B e antigen; HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antigen; HGb, hemoglobin; IQR, interquartile range; NAs, nucleos(t)ide analogues; NEUT, neutrophils; NSs, nucleoside analogues; NTs, nucleotide analogues; PegIFNα, PEGylated interferon α; PLT, platelet; RBC, red blood cells; SD, standard deviation; TBIL, total bilirubin; TDF, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate; ULN, upper limit of normal; WBC, white blood cells.