Liver stiffness in hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic hepatitis patients: Hepatitis B virus infection and transaminases should be considered

Table 1 Patient characteristics, n (%)

Characteristics	Total, 284 patients	Pos group, 200 patients	Neg group, 84 patients	P value
Age, year	53.26 ± 11.40	52.59 ± 11.17	55.35 ± 11.88	0.054
Male	259 (91.2)	180 (90.0)	79 (94.0)	0.272
BMI, kg/m²	22.64 ± 2.93	22.51 ± 2.96	22.95 ± 2.87	0.289
Diabetes	22 (7.7)	16 (8.0)	6 (7.1)	0.805
Hypertension	48 (16.8)	33 (16.5)	15 (17.9)	0.781
PLT, ×109/L	185.00 (32.00-454.00)	197.00 (40.00-427.00)	155.50 (32.00-454.00)	< 0.001b
PT, s	12.05 (9.60-16.10)	12.00 (9.60-14.90)	12.15 (10.20-16.10)	0.808
INR	1.03 (0.82-1.40)	1.03 (0.82-1.29)	1.04 (0.88-1.40)	0.861
ALB, g/L	37.80 (25.10-65.50)	37.40 (27.2-47.9)	39.45 (25.10-65.50)	0.026a
TBIL, mol/L	13.60 (5.10-83.30)	13.40 (5.10-83.30)	13.95 (5.10-42.70)	0.559
ALT, U/L	33.00 (7.00-468.00)	35.00 (7.00-468.00)	26.00 (8.00-155.00)	< 0.001b
AST, U/L	37.00 (12.90-438.00)	39.50 (18.00-438.00)	30.50 (12.90-209.00)	< 0.001b
GGT, U/L	59.00 (12.00-951.00)	66.00 (12.00-951.00)	47.00 (13.00-705.00)	0.008b
CHE, U/L	6180.00 (1141.00-20174.00)	6030.00 (1141.00-20174.00)	6682.00 (2024.00-10368.00)	0.496
CREA, μmol/L	80.00 (3.00-371.00)	78.00 (3.00-280.00)	85.00 (46.00-371.00)	< 0.001b
AFP, μg/L	45.26 (0.00-1.14 × 106)	53.92 (0.00-1.14 × 106)	22.91 (0.00-927002.45)	0.008b
1HBV-DNA, IU/mL	3360.00 (0.00-3.53 × 107)	46300.00 (101.00-3.53 × 107)	0.00 (0.00-88.80)	< 0.001b
CP score of 5/6/7/8	205/52/21/6 (72.2/18.3/7.4/2.1)	145/39/14/2 (72.5/19.5/7.0/1.0)	60/13/7/4 (71.4/15.5/8.3/4.8)	0.200
CP grade A (vs B)	257 (90.5)	184 (92.0)	73 (86.9)	0.182
ALBI score	-2.48 [(-4.77)-(-1.14)]	-2.45 [(-3.33)-(-1.61)]	-2.55 [(-4.77)-(-1.14)]	0.036a
ALBI grade 1/2/3	104/179/1 (36.6/63.0/0.4)	66/134/0 (33.0/67.0/0.0)	38/45/1 (45.2/53.6/1.2)	0.039a
MELD score	4.87 [(-26.65)-18.60]	4.55 [(-26.65)-18.60]	5.85 [(-2.87)-17.80]	0.001b
FIB-4	0.70 (0.12-9.29)	0.62 (0.12-4.23)	0.87 (0.17-9.29)	0.001b
Antiviral treatment	97 (34.2)	43 (21.5)	54 (64.3)	< 0.001b
Pathological cirrhosis yes/no/censored	85/168/31 (29.9/59.2/10.9)	53/62.5/11.0 (26.5/62.5/11.0)	32/43/9 (38.1/51.2/10.7)	0.047a
Single/multiple HCC lesion(s)	209/75 (73.6/26.4)	142/58 (71.0/29.0)	67/17 (79.8/20.2)	0.125
Diameter of HCC lesion, cm	5.75 (0.70-21.60)	6.25 (0.70-21.60)	4.00 (1.10-18.00)	< 0.001b
Splenomegaly	67 (23.6)	44 (22.0)	23 (27.4)	0.330
Absent/slight/moderate or abundant ascites	264/18/2 (93.0/6.3/0.7)	187/12/1 (93.5/6.0/0.5)	77/6/1 (91.7/7.1/1.2)	0.762
Esophagogastric varices	30 (10.6)	14 (7.0)	16 (19.0)	0.003b
BCLC stage 0/A/B	11/203/70 (3.9/71.5/24.6)	6/138/56 (3.0/69.0/28.0)	5/65/14 (6.0/77.4/16.7)	0.082
2Emin, kPa	7.90 (1.00-28.30)	8.00 (1.00-25.10)	7.50 (4.00-33.90)	0.809
2Emean, kPa	9.65 (1.00-33.90)	9.70 (1.00-31.50)	9.15 (4.00-33.90)	0.453
2Emax, kPa	12.00 (1.00-46.70)	12.10 (1.00-38.00)	11.45 (5.50-46.70)	0.536

¹Patients’ HBV-DNA was recorded as 0 when it was < 100.00 IU/mL.

²Emin, Emean, and Emax were recorded as the median values of the minimum, mean, and maximum in the five liver stiffness measurements.

^aP < 0.05.

^bP < 0.01. AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; ALB: Albumin; ALBI: Albumin-bilirubin; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; BCLC: Barcelona clinic liver cancer; BMI: Body mass index; CHE: Choline esterase; CP: Child-Pugh; CREA: Serum creatinine; Emax: Maximum of liver stiffness; Emean: Mean of liver stiffness; Emin: Minimum of liver stiffness; FIB-4: Fibrosis-4 score; GGT: Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; INR: International normalized ratio; MELD: Model for end-stage liver disease; Neg group: HBV-DNA negative group; PLT: Platelet; Pos group: HBV-DNA positive group; PT: Prothrombin time; TBIL: Total bilirubin.