Hepatocellular carcinoma, decompensation, and mortality based on hepatitis C treatment: A prospective cohort study

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the entire hepatitis C virus cohort according to the treatment

Variable, n (%)	Untreated group (n = 619)	IBT group (n = 578)	DAA group (n = 857)	P value (3 Gr.)	P value (U vs I)	P value (U vs D)	P value (I vs D)
Age (yr)	60.4 ± 13.4	51.4 ± 10.9	59.1±11.4	< 0.001	< 0.001	0.086	< 0.001
Male sex	280 (45.2)	277 (47.9)	412 (48.1)	0.511	0.351	0.281	0.955
HCV RNA, log10 IU/mL	5.89 (5.08-6.45)	5.83 (4.87-6.49)	6.04 (5.27-6.53)	< 0.001	0.979	0.017	< 0.001
HCV genotype				< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
1	256 (41.4)	242 (41.9)	491 (57.3)
2	299 (48.3)	323 (55.9)	355 (41.4)
Others/missing	64 (10.3)	13 (2.2)	11 (1.3)
Diagnosis status				< 0.001	< 0.001	0.002	0.058
Chronic hepatitis	417 (67.4)	456 (78.9)	639 (74.6)
Compensated cirrhosis	202 (32.6)	122 (21.1)	218 (25.4)
FIB-4 index				< 0.001	< 0.001	0.142	< 0.001
≤ 1.45	112 (18.9)	191 (33.3)	164 (19.9)
1.45-3.25	218 (36.8)	200 (34.8)	337 (40.9)
≥ 3.25	263 (44.3)	183 (31.9)	323 (39.2)
APRI score				0.15	0.09	0.094	0.853
≤ 2.0	480 (80.3)	485 (84.1)	708 (83.7)
> 2.0	118 (19.7)	92 (15.9)	138 (16.3)
ALBI score				0.004	0.04	0.001	0.313
≤ -2.60 (Grade 1)	446 (73.0)	450 (78.1)	674 (80.3)
> -2.60 (Grade 2 or 3)	165 (27.0)	126 (21.9)	165 (19.7)
Ever smoker	264 (42.9)	283 (49.5)	380 (44.5)	0.058	0.022	0.519	0.068
Alcohol intake				< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
None	326 (53.0)	226 (39.4)	419 (48.9)
Social	227 (36.9)	308 (53.7)	229 (26.7)
Significant1	61 (9.9)	40 (7.0)	209 (24.4)
Fatty liver disease on imaging study, n = 1389	71 (19.3), n = 367	86 (21.1), n = 408	140 (22.8), n = 614	0.435	0.549	0.202	0.516
Anti-HBcIgG (+), n = 1442	47 (11.0), n = 429	33 (8.4), n = 391	64 (10.3), n = 622	0.46	0.225	0.73	0.33
BMI, kg/m2	23.4 ± 3.2	23.8 ± 3.0	23.8 ± 3.1	0.02	0.143	0.02	1
Diabetes mellitus	120 (19.4)	77 (13.3)	128 (14.9)	0.01	0.005	0.024	0.391
Hypertension	145 (23.4)	107 (18.5)	243 (28.4)	< 0.001	0.037	0.034	< 0.001
Cardiovascular disease	16 (2.6)	3 (0.5)	25 (2.9)	0.006	0.004	0.701	0.001
Cerebrovascular disease	17 (2.7)	4 (0.7)	20 (2.3)	0.026	0.007	0.617	0.017
Laboratory study
WBC, × 103/mm3	5.09 (4.29-6.50)	5.05 (3.91-6.16)	5.40 (4.40-6.61)	< 0.001	0.145	0.164	< 0.001
Hemoglobin, g/dL	13.5 (12.3-14.5)	13.7 (12.7-14.8)	13.8 (12.7-14.8)	< 0.001	0.004	< 0.001	1
Platelet, × 103/mm3	162 (118-212)	174 (130-220)	172 (129-215)	0.229	0.236	0.317	1
Albumin, g/dL	4.2 (3.9-4.4)	4.2 (4.0-4.5)	4.2 (4.0-4.4)	< 0.001	< 0.001	0.001	1
Total bilirubin, mg/dL	0.8 (0.5-1.0)	0.7 (0.6-1.0)	0.7 (0.6-1.0)	0.784	1	1	1
ALP, IU/L	87 (68-136)	79 (63-112)	121 (78-250)	< 0.001	0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
AST, IU/L	50 (30-85)	50 (31-83)	46 (30-76)	0.026	1	0.139	0.038
ALT, IU/L	42 (23-80)	52 (29-100)	36 (22-70)	< 0.001	0.013	0.176	< 0.001
Creatinine, mg/dL	0.9 (0.7-1.0)	0.8 (0.7-1.0)	0.8 (0.7-1.0)	0.857	1	1	1
PT, INR	1.06 (1.01-1.12)	1.03 (0.98-1.08)	1.03 (0.97-1.09)	< 0.001	< 0.001	0.007	0.119
AFP, ng/dL	4.3 (2.5-9.7)	3.5 (2.3-7.1)	3.8 (2.4-6.6)	0.868	1	1	1
Cohort entry time				< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
January 2007–June 2015	488 (78.8)	561 (97.1)	49 (5.7)
July 2015–June 2019	131 (21.2)	17 (2.9)	808 (94.3)
SVR rate	-	67.5 (451/668)	95.3 (817/857)	-	-	< 0.001	-
Follow-up duration (yr)	5.6 (3.4-8.2)	7.9 (6.1-9.7)	3.5 (2.0-5.5)	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001

¹Significant alcohol intake is defined as weekly ≥ 210 g for men and ≥ 140 g for women.

Data were presented as mean ± SD, median (interquartile range), or n (%). AFP: Alpha-feto protein; ALBI: Albumin-bilirubin; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; APRI: Aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; BMI: Body mass index; DAA: Direct acting antivirals; FIB-4: Fibrosis-4; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; IBT: Interferon-based therapy; INR: International normalized ratio; PT: Prothrombin time; WBC: White blood cell.