Study designs of evaluations included in the review
The inclusion criteria for study design were not specified.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of antiviral regimens containing alpha-interferon with and without ribavirin were included. Some studies also treated patients with chemotherapy, high-dose corticosteroids, plasmaphoresis and splenectomy.
Participants included in the review
HCV-infected patients with a variety of lymphoproliferative disorders were included. Details of the disorders were reported.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The review assessed remission and regression of lymphoproliferative disorders, HCV cure, disappearance of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), and the association between loss of B-cell monoclonarity and viral response.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.