Significance and prognostic value of increased serum direct bilirubin level for lymph node metastasis in Chinese rectal cancer patients

Table 1 Basic characteristics of 469 rectal adenocarcinoma patients n (%)

Characteristic	Total patients (n = 469)1	RAC patients with LNM(n = 231)1	RAC patients without LNM (n = 238)1	P value
Male sex	286 (61.0)	146 (63.2)	140 (58.8)	0.331
Mean age, yr	62.1 ± 12.6	60.6 ± 12.8	63.6 ± 12.2	0.012
BMI3, kg/m2	23.95 ± 3.54	23.90 ±3.67	24.0 ± 3.41	0.779
Hypertension	131 (27.9)	58 (25.1)	73 (30.7)	0.179
Alcohol intake	29 (6.2)	18 (7.8)	11 (4.6)	0.154
Smoking	129 (27.5)	55 (23.8)	74 (31.1)	0.077
White blood cell, × 109/L	6.66 ± 2.10	6.70 ± 2.09	6.61 ± 2.11	0.666
Hemoglobin, g/L	132 ± 20	131 ± 20	132 ± 19	0.553
Platelet count, × 109/L	233 ± 79	235 ± 74	232 ± 84	0.659
Total bilirubin2, mmol/L	10.26 (7.70-14.40)	10.26 (7.40-15.0)	10.26 (8.13-13.68)	0.451
Direct bilirubin2, mmol/L	2.30 (1.60-3.42)	2.50 (1.70-3.42)	2.10 (1.40-3.42)	0.025
ALT2, U/L	16 (12-22)	15 (12-22)	16 (12-22)	0.262
AST2, U/L	19 (16-23)	18 (15-22)	19 (16-24)	0.076
ALP2, U/L	66 (55-81)	66 (54-82)	66 (55-80)	0.905
GGT2, U/L	17 (13-25)	18 (13-26)	16 (12-23)	0.136
Serum cholinesterase4, U/L	161.3 ± 50.0	158.1 ± 50.1	164.5 ± 50.0	0.170
Total bile acid2, μmol/L	4.4 (2.4-7.3)	4.5 (2.4-8.5)	4.2 (2.5-7.1)	0.546
Prothrombin time5, s	13.2 ± 1.4	13.2 ± 1.7	13.2 ± 1.1	0.651
International normalized ratio/INR5	1.02 ± 0.14	1.02 ± 0.17	1.01 ± 0.11	0.313
Albumin level6, g/L	42.3 ± 4.5	42.3 ± 4.4	42.2 ± 4.6	0.908
Creatinine, mg/dL	82.1 ± 18.0	80.8 ± 15.5	83.3 ± 20.1	0.128
Serum sodium7, mmol/L	141.0 ± 3.0	141.0 ± 3.1	142.0 ± 2.9	0.028
Serum potassium7, mmol/L	4.1 ± 0.5	4.1 ± 0.4	4.1 ± 0.5	0.282
Carcinoembryonic antigen28, ng/mL	4.33 (2.22-11.91)	5.40 (2.40-13.95)	3.50 (2.08-8.67)	0.009
Serum CA19-929, kU/L	14.02 (7.20-28.63)	15.10 (7.39-33.91)	13.41 (7.10-23.10)	0.109

¹Plus-minus value indicates mean ± SD;

²Median (inter-quartile range, Q1-Q3). Data were available in

³403 (202 + 201),

⁴461 (226 + 235),

⁵456 (225 + 231),

⁶463 (227 + 236),

⁷457 (226 + 231),

⁸392 (192 + 200) and

⁹370 (178 + 192) patients. The numbers before the brackets indicate the total available cases in the two groups. BMI: Body mass index; LNM: Lymph node metastasis; RAC: Rectal adenocarcinoma.