Predictors of esophageal varices and first variceal bleeding in liver cirrhosis patients

Table 4 Baseline characteristics of patients with esophageal variceal bleeding during follow-up n (%)

Categorical variables	Total (n =139)	No EVB (n = 105)	EVB (n = 34)	P value
Upper panel: Categorical variables2
Sex
Men	109 (78.4)1	80 (76.2)	29 (85.3)	0.341
Women	30 (21.6)	25 (23.8)	5 (14.7)
Etiology of cirrhosis:				0.762
Alcoholic	67 (48.2)	49 (46.7)	18 (52.9)
HBV	32 (23.0)	23 (21.9)	9 (26.5)
HCV	8 (5.8)	6 (5.7)	2 (5.9)
Alcoholic + viral	11 (7.9)	9 (8.6)	2 (5.9)
Other	21 (15.1)	18 (17.1)	3 (8.8)
EV				0.176
None	26 (18.7)	22 (21.0)	4 (11.8)
SEV	44 (31.7)	36 (34.3)	8 (23.5)
MEV	39 (28.1)	25 (23.8)	14 (41.2)
LEV	30 (21.6)	22 (21.0)	8 (23.5)
Red signs				0.034
Without varices	26 (18.7)	22 (21.0)	4 (11.8)
Yes	19 (13.7)	10 (9.5)	9 (26.5)
No	94 (67.6)	73 (69.5)	21 (61.8)
CTP				0.968
A (5-6)	43 (30.9)	33 (31.4)	10 (29.4)
B (7-9)	63 (45.3)	47 (44.8)	16 (47.1)
C (10-15)	33 (23.7)	25 (23.8)	8 (23.5)
Lower panel: Numerical variables3
Age (yr)	51.5 ± 13.1	52.1 ± 13.5	49.7 ± 11.6	0.402
Hemoglobin (mg/dL)	11.8 ± 2.3	12.0 ± 2.2	10.9 ± 2.5	0.017
PL (n/mm3)	165539 ± 101181	168742 ± 107419	155647 ± 79459	0.801
Creatinine (mg/dL)	0.89 ± 0.34	0.88 ± 0.34	0.92 ± 0.32	0.336
AST (UI/L)	107.6 ± 156.1	112.2 ± 175.7	93.4 ± 65.8	0.852
ALT (UI/L)	73.1 ± 161.9	80.3 ± 189.9	50.6 ± 34.5	0.930
GGT (UI/L)	264.9 ± 302.7	267.1 ± 311.4	258.2 ± 278.1	0.737
Gama globulin (g/L)	27.1 ± 10.3	26.6 ± 9.0	28.6 ± 13.6	0.555
INR	1.65 ± 0.47	1.65 ± 0.48	1.65 ± 0.43	0.862
Albumin	3.19 ± 0.65	3.17 ± 0.72	3.25 ± 0.38	0.608
FIB-4	5.83 ± 5.33	5.93 ± 5.80	5.50 ± 3.56	0.881
Fibrosis index	3.15 ± 1.30	3.13 ± 1.41	3.22 ± 0.84	0.901
King score	82.9 ± 135.2	89.6 ± 152.2	62.1 ± 53.7	0.978
APRI	2.63 ± 3.79	2.80 ± 4.25	2.13 ± 1.70	0.550
PL/SD	1146 ± 780	1189 ± 826	1014 ± 605	0.398
AST/ALT	2.18 ± 1.62	2.17 ± 1.64	2.23 ± 1.57	0.628
MELD	15.7 ± 5.2	15.5 ± 5.3	16.2 ± 4.8	0.435

¹Absolute numbers and column percentages (in parentheses);

²P values from Fisher’s exact test;

³P values from Mann-Whitney’s U-test. AST/ALT: Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio; APRI: AST to platelet ratio index; CTP: Child-Turcotte-Pugh score; EV: Esophageal varices; FIB-4: Fibrosis-4-index; GGT: Gamma glutamyltranspeptidase; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; INR: International normalized ratio; LEV: Large esophageal varices; MEV: Medium esophageal varices; MELD: Model for end-stage liver disease; PC/SD: Platelet count to spleen diameter; SEV: Small esophageal varices.