Table 1.
Study participants’ demographic and clinical characteristics (unit) in liver cirrhosis group (n = 40) and HCC group (n = 39) compared to each other and to the apparently healthy control participants (n = 15)
| Parameter (unit) | Groups, n | Significance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCC, 39 | LC, 40 | Control, 15 | p1 | p2 | p3 | |
| Gender M/F | 27/12 | 28/12 | 11/4 | NS | NS | NS |
| Age (years) | 61.0 (56.0–67.0) | 58.5 (54.25–65.0) | 58.0 (55.0–60.0) | NS | NS | NS |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 29.0 (27.0–31.0) | 29.9 (27.55–33.2) | 27.1 (26.7–27.8) | NS | 0.008* | 0.008* |
| D.M yes/no | 15/24 | 16/24 | 0/15 | NS | 0.005* | < 0.001* |
| s. Insulin (mIU/L) | 25.0 (15.7–42.5) | 13.5 (5.98–20.37) | 8.5 (5.9–10.7) | 0.001* | < 0.001* | NS |
| s. Albumin (mg/dL) | 3.4 (2.9–4.1) | 2.7 (2.12–3.65) | 3.3 (3.2–3.8) | 0.009* | NS | 0.035* |
| AST (U/L) | 77.0 (62.0–105.0) | 72.0 (62.0–78.0) | 33.0 (30.0–43.0) | NS | < 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| ALT (U/L) | 51.0 (42.0–65.0) | 57.0 (50.0–63.7) | 28.0 (24.0–38.0) | NS | < 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| Total bilirubin (mg/dL) | 1.2 (0.9–2.0) | 1.5 (1.0–3.07) | 0.80 (0.6–1.0) | NS | < 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| Direct bilirubin (mg/dL) | 0.70 (0.40–1.2) | 0.8 (0.4–1.95) | 0.30 (0.18–0.42) | NS | < 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| ALP (U/L) | 110.0 (82.0–155.0) | 120.0 (99.8–132.8) | 46.0 (39.0–58.0) | NS | < 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| GGT (U/L) | 60.0 (53.0–77.0) | 67.0 (55.3–83.5) | 19.0 (17.0–23.0) | NS | < 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| TC (mg/dL) | 162.0 (122.0–220) | 147.0 (112–181) | 155.0 (152.0–162) | NS | NS | NS |
| TAG (mg/dL) | 133.0 (94.0–193.0) | 115.0 (76.8–147) | 115.0 (99.0–123) | NS | NS | NS |
| HDL-C (mg/dl) | 34.0 (26.0–40.0) | 36.5 (30.5–41.75) | 47.0 (43.0–51.0) | NS | < 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| TAG/HDL-C ratio | 4.1 (2.6–6.7) | 3.3 (2.34–4.59) | 2.35 (2.2–2.7) | NS | < 0.001* | 0.01* |
| NLR | 2.5 (2.0–3.9) | 2.1 (1.38–3.49) | 0.93 (0. 33–1.42) | NS | < 0.001* | 0.001* |
| PLR | 111.4 (72.5–240.0) | 74.5 (47.8–150.13) | 128.4 (82.1–154.8) | NS | NS | NS |
| LMR | 2.6 (1.4–4.25) | 2.8 (1.60–3.92) | 5.5 (4.1–6.0) | NS | 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| AFP (ng/mL) | 80 (13–305) | 7.4 (4.5–10.37) | 3.2 (2.7–6.8) | < 0.001* | < 0.001* | 0.002* |
| Total monocytes % | 6.7 (5.1–9.38) | 6.0 (4.9–7.5) | 3.0 (2.6–3.47) | NS | < 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| Classical monocytes % | 4.5 (3.5–6.5) | 4.0 (3.23–5.5) | 1.9 (1.4–2.45) | NS | < 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| Intermediate monocytes % | 1.16 (0.9–1.90) | 0.6 (0.48–0.98) | 0.15 (0.10–0.30) | < 0.001* | < 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| Non-classical monocytes % | 0.56 (0.2–0.90) | 0.5 (0.24–0.94) | 0.24 (0.14–0.3) | NS | 0.017* | 0.010* |
| Hsa-miR-21-5p fold change | 27.6 (6.9–69.5) | 8.6 (3.9–11.3) | 0.96 (0.94–1.0) | < 0.001* | < 0.001* | < 0.001* |
| Hsa-miR-155-5p fold change | 3.1 (1.7–8.12) | 1.8 (0.76–2.2) | 1.07 (0.9–1.69) | 0.001* | 0.001* | NS |
Data are median (inter-quartile range(1st–3rd quartile), statistics were computed using SPSS software, Mann–Whitney test was used (non-parametric data), p1 for comparison between HCC and liver cirrhosis groups, p2 for comparison between HCC and control, p3 for comparison between liver cirrhosis and control
ALT alanine aminotransferase, AST aspartate aminotransferase, AFP alpha-fetoprotein, BMI body mass index, HCC hepatocellular carcinoma, HDL high-density lipoprotein, GGT gamma glutamyl transferase, LC liver cirrhosis, PLR platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, NLR neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, LMR lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, TC total cholesterol, TAG triacylglycerol
*Statistical significance p value < 0.05, NS, non-significant