Effect of a specific Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 strain on minimal/mild hepatic encephalopathy treatment

Table 1 Baseline clinical parameters in examined patients (mean ± SE or %)

	Lactulose group	Rifaximin group	EcN group	P value1
Age, yr	48.92 ± 1.64	49.07 ± 1.76	48.85 ± 1.93	0.996
Male, % (n)	78.6 (11)	78.6 (11)	71.4 (10)	0.877
Etiology of cirrhosis
HCV, % (n)	57.1 (8)	42.9 (6)	50.0 (7)	0.940
Alcoholism, % (n)	21.4 (3)	35.7 (5)	28.6 (4)
Mixed, % (n)	21.4 (3)	21.4 (3)	21.4 (3)
Cirrhosis duration, years	8.14 ± 0.61	8.00 ± 0.61	8.07 ± 0.60	0.986
Time to progression from hepatitis to cirrhosis, years	4.00 ± 0.41	3.42 ± 0.38	3.56 ± 0.32	0.468
Child-pugh score
A, % (n)	35.7 (5)	42.9 (6)	28.6 (4)	0.733
B, % (n)	64.3 (9)	57.1 (8)	71.4 (10)
HE grade
MHE, % (n)	42.9 (6)	35.7 (5)	42.9 (6)	0.979
Grade 1, % (n)	35.7 (5)	35.7 (5)	28.6 (4)
Grade 2, % (n)	21.4 (3)	28.6 (4)	28.6 (4)

¹The difference between all study groups calculated using one-way ANOVA or χ² test for categorical data. HE: Hepatic encephalopathy; MHE: Minimal HE; EcN: Escherichia coli Nissle.