Mast cells and human hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the patients involved in the study

n	Age	Sex	ALT(UI/l)	AST	Histology	Stage	Grade	Angioinvasivity	HCV-Ab	MCs density(cells/mm2)
1	73	m	98	37	TR	G1	pT2	absent	_	0
2	70	m	61	37	PS	G2	pT2	peritumoural	_	0
3	76	f	97	94	TR	G2	pT3	peritumoural	+	0
4	59	m	169	48	TR	G3	pT4	peritumoural	+	0
5	72	f	40	29	TR	G1	pT3	peritumoural	nd	0.0053
6	51	f	20	32	TR	G3	pT3	peritumoural	_	0.0061
7	70	f	62	66	C	G1	pT1	absent	+	0.0062
8	67	m	108	82	TR	G3	pT3	peritumoural	+	0.0483
9	71	m	48	64	PS	G1	pT2	peritumoural	_	0.0625
10	78	m	75	116	TR	G3	pT2	absent	+	0.0726
11	71	m	199	110	C	G1	pT4	peritumoural	+	0.253
12	74	m	40	25	TR	G1	pT2	absent	nd	0.3846
13	76	f	75	94	TR	G2	pT3	intratumoural	+	0.446
14	77	m	286	95	TR	G3	pT3	absent	+	0.55
15	63	m	97	78	TR	G2	pT3	peritumoural	+	0.625
16	69	m	55	74	C	G3	pT3	absent	+	0.894
17	80	f	58	64	TR	G3	pT3	peritumoural	+	0.9422
18	51	m	103	153	C	G2	pT2	absent	+	1.1
19	68	f	79	113	TR	G1	pT2	absent	+	1.15
20	48	f	149	76	TR	G1	pT2	absent	_	2.58
21	73	m	116	45	TR	G1	pT3	absent	_	5.041
22	64	m	131	70	C	G2	pT3	absent	+	6.006

TR = trabecular, PS = pseudoglandular, C = combined.

Table 2 Semi-quantitative evaluation of sinusoidal capillarisation related to MCs density (cells/mm²)

MC density	Presence of capillarisation
	Absent	Weak	Moderate	Strong
0-0.01	3	2	0	0
0.01-0.1	3	0	0	0
0.1-1	1	5	1	0
> 1	0	0	2	3a

^aP < 0.005 vs the other categories.