Hepatic flares in chronic hepatitis C: Spontaneous exacerbation vs hepatotropic viruses superinfection

Table 1 Hepatic flares in patients with hepatitis C virus chronic infection: Main characteristics of published studies

Ref.	Type of study	Patients (flare/total)	Patients with flare	Etiology of flare
Sheen et al[39]	Prospective	78/194	40%	Spontaneous ae-CHC
Tsuji et al[47]	Prospective	28/120	23.30%	Spontaneous ae-CHC
Rumi et al[41]	Prospective	39/206	19%	Spontaneous ae-CHC
Ferri et al[64]	Prospective	1/31	3.20%	ae-CHC due to anti-TNF alfa
Pitini et al[53]	Prospective	10/10	/	ae-CHC due to anti-CD20
Coppola et al[50]	Prospective longitudinal	7/7	/	ae-CHC due to anti-CD20
Grebely et al[85]	Prospective	5/136	3%	HCV-superinfection
Sagnelli et al[43]	Cross-sectional	82/82	/	Spontaneous ae-CHC
Coppola et al[48]	Cross-sectional	57/57	/	Spontaneous ae-CHC
Sagnelli et al[67]	Cross-sectional	8/8	/	HAV superinfection
Biliotti et al[80]	Cross-sectional	14/14	/	HBV superinfection
Sagnelli et al[81]	Cross-sectional	29/29	/	HBV superinfection
Pritchard[65]	Case report	1/1	/	ae-CHC due to anti-TNF alfa
Deterding et al[84]	Case report	1/1	7%	HBV/HDV superinfection
Sagnelli et al[86]	Case report	1/1	/	HCV-superinfection
Accapezzato et al[90]	Case report	1/1	/	HCV-superinfection
Hiraga et al[40]	Retrospective	22/1760	1.25%	Spontaneous ae-CHC
Ennishi et al[51]	Retrospective	36/131	27.40%	ae-CHC due to anti-CD20
Mahale et al[62]	Retrospective	33/308	11%	ae-CHC related to chemotherapy
Li et al[66]	Retrospective	1/8	12.50%	ae-CHC due to anti-TNF alfa
Marignani et al[52]	Retrospective	2/3	66.60%	ae-CHC due to anti-CD20

HCV: Hepatitis C virus; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; ae-CHC: Acute exacerbation chronic hepatitis C; TNF: Tumor necrosis factor; HAV: Hepatitis A virus; HDV: Hepatitis delta virus.