Table 4.
Comparison of clinical background factors of the study patients
| Variables | Treatment group (n = 35) | Control group (n = 35) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (male), n (%) | 21 (60.0) | 21 (60.0) | 1 |
| Age, years (IQR) | 65.4 (59.5–73.6) | 64.9(59.0–73.1) | 1 |
| Etiology (HCV/HBV/alcohol/nBnC/PBC) | 19/2/8/4/2 | 19/2/8/4/2 | 1 |
| Total bilirubin, mg/dl (IQR) | 1.8 (1.15–2.4) | 1.5 (1.05–2.1) | 0.46 |
| AST, IU/L (IQR) | 47 (35.0–62.5) | 40.5 (30.0–54.5) | 0.73 |
| ALT, IU/L (IQR) | 21 (7.5–29.5) | 17.5 (7.5–25.0) | 0.56 |
| Prothrombin time, % (IQR) | 57.4 (47.03–68.98) | 61.5 (52.48–73.38) | 0.2 |
| Albumin, g/dl (IQR) | 2.9 (2.6–3.0) | 3.1 (2.93–3.40) | <0.001 |
| Hemoglobin, g/dl (IQR) | 10.7 (8.48–11.90) | 11.60 (10.08–12.68) | 0.07 |
| MCV, fl (IQR) | 98.6 (94.03–101.9) | 97.9 (92.83–102.38) | 0.07 |
| Platelet count, 103/μl (IQR) | 60.0 (43.0–84.0) | 60.0 (45.5–84.5) | 0.82 |
| Diuretics administration, n (%) | 25 (71.4) | 23 (65.7) | 0.6 |
| BCAA administration, n (%) | 28 (80.0) | 28 (80.0) | 1.0 |
HCV, hepatitis C virus; HBV, hepatitis B virus; PBC, primary birially cholangitis; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; BCAA, branched-chain amino acid.