Liver stiffness and serum markers for excluding high-risk varices in patients who do not meet Baveno VI criteria

Table 1 Biochemical characteristics of patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis with and without high-risk varices

Variable	Without high-risk varices (n = 105)	With high-risk varices (n = 27)	P-value
Age	46.32 ± 11.83	46.74 ± 11.17	0.8691
Male	88 (83.81)	25 (92.59)	0.2462
BMI (kg/m2)	24.6 ± 3.53	23.8 ± 2.96	0.9121
HBeAg: Positive	59 (56.19)	11 (40.74)	0.1512
HBV DNA (log 10, copies/mL)	6.27 ± 1.43	5.08 ± 1.46	0.0021
Na+ (mmol/L)	137.56 ± 13.80	139.12 ± 3.07	0.5601
ALT (U/L)	177.0 (64.0-318.0)	54.0 (33.0-92.0)	0.0003
AST (U/L)	144.0 (55.5-266.5)	60.0 (37.0-136.9)	0.0013
GGT (U/L)	105.0 (68.4-198.0)	60.0 (35.0-93.0)	0.0003
TBil (μmol/L)	24.4 (16.75-37.5)	27.8 (15.5-48.2)	0.6763
ALB (g/L)	37.35 ± 5.74	36.07 ± 5.74	0.3051
GLB (g/L)	31.4 (28.55-35.65)	34.6 (28.6-39.1)	0.1013
AFP (ng/mL)	16.47 (6.66-74.73)	13.6 (7.00-30.1)	0.4223
BUN (mmol/L)	4.64 ± 1.28	4.71 ± 1.29	0.8011
Cr (μmol/L)	73.0 (62.0-80.5)	73.0 (69.0-90.0)	0.2773
PT (s)	13.0 (11.8-14.4)	15.4 (12.5-16.3)	0.0023
INR	1.08 (0.98-1.17)	1.23 (1.04-1.38)	0.0033
PTA (%)	85.05 ± 21.33	74.52 ± 20.25	0.0221
WBC (109/L)	4.21 (3.28-5.34)	3.64 (2.68-4.50)	0.0523
PLT (109/L)	98.35 ± 46.49	67.00 ± 28.29	0.0001
LSM (kPa)	28.93 ± 12.41	35.42 ± 14.44	0.0211
Child-Pugh score	5.00 (5.00-7.00)	6.00 (5.00-7.00)	0.5083
MELD	8.83 (7.50-11.76)	11.33 (8.81-13.18)	0.0253

Data are presented as the mean ± SD, or median (interquartile range).

¹t-test results;

²Chi square test results;

³Mann–Whitney U test results.

P < 0.05 was statistically significant. AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; ALB: Albumin; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; BMI: Body mass index; BUN: Urea nitrogen; Cr: Creatinine; GGT: Glutamine transpeptidase; GLB: Globulin; HBeAg: Hepatitis B e-antigen; HBV DNA: Hepatitis B virus DNA; INR: International normalized ratio; LSM: Liver stiffness measurement; MELD: Model for End-Stage Liver Disease; Na⁺: Sodium; PLT: Platelet; PT: Prothrombin time; PTA: Prothrombin activity; TBil: Total bilirubin; WBC: White blood cell.