Immune function biomarker QuantiFERON-monitor is associated with infection risk in cirrhotic patients

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of cirrhotic patients

	Demographics	Median QFM (95%CI) IU/mL
Age (median, yr)	54 (20-72)	94.5 (37.3-158)
Male	62 (68.1%)	124.5 (37.3-223)
Female	29 (31.9%)	73.9 (7.50-158)
Child-Pugh score
A	7	381 (12.9-1234)
B	29	224 (94.4-506)
C	55	37.3 (19.5-128)
MELD score
0-10	10	319 (12.9-904)
11-20	42	155.5 (94.5-240)
21-30	34	30.0 (9.16-157)
≥ 30	5	8.81 (0.63-47.6)
Primary aetiology of cirrhosis, n (%)
HCV	39 (42.9)	130 (47.6-223)
PSC	10 (11.0)	61.6 (1.19-279)
ETOH	10 (11.0)	113.3 (8.81-385)
NASH	9 (9.89)	20.3 (6.20-375)
AIH	5 (5.49)	37.3 (0.04-137)
PBC	4 (4.40)	93.0 (24.1-168)
HBV	3 (3.30)	904 (799-1132)
Retransplant	3 (3.30)	163 (2.06-318)
Other	8 (8.79)	6.59 (0.07-774)
HCC	31 (34.1)	194 (87.9-425)
No HCC	61 (65.9)	73.9 (28.0-154)

QFM: QuantiFERON-Monitor; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; PSC: Primary sclerosing cholangitis; ETOH: Alcohol; NASH: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; AIH: Autoimmune hepatitis; PBC: Primary biliary cirrhosis; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma.

Table 2 Univariate analysis of QuantiFERON-Monitor in cirrhotic patients

	Coefficient	P vaule	95%CI
MELD score	-17.3	< 0.001	-25.3:-9.29
Child-Pugh score	-65.6	< 0.001	-91.1:-40.2
Alcohol	-69.3	0.285	-197.4:58.7
HCC	193.9	0.002	71.6:316.1
Age	3.18	0.252	-2.30:8.66
WCC	-9.4	0.351	-29.2:10.5
Neutrophils	-19.0	0.137	-44.1:6.17
HCV	-44.4	0.476	-168.0:79.1
Male	70.1	0.288	-60.1:200.4
Bilirubin	-0.59	0.001	-0.95:-0.24
Urea	-14.5	0.023	-26.9:-2.00
Creatinine	0.17	0.702	-0.71:1.06
Haemoglobin	5.04	< 0.001	2.48:7.59
Platelets	0.59	0.164	-0.24:1.42
Albumin	9.50	0.055	-0.21:19.2
INR	-230.6	< 0.001	-342:-119

HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; WCC: White cell count; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; MELD: Model for end stage liver disease; INR: International normalized ratio.

Table 3 Multivariate regression analysis

	Coefficent	P vaule	95%CI
Child-Pugh score	-51.9	0.013	-92.6:-11.3
MELD score	16.0	0.131	-4.88:36.9
HCC	62.9	0.366	-74.8:201
Bilirubin	-0.39	0.131	-0.91:0.120
Urea	-14.3	0.046	-28.3:-0.261
Haemoglobin	1.77	0.250	-1.27:4.82
Albumin	7.15	0.141	-2.43:16.7
INR	-114	0.168	-278:49.3

HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; MELD: Model for end stage liver disease; INR: International normalized ratio.