Table 2.

Laboratory Characteristics of the Three Studied Groups

	HCC group n=38	Cirrhosis group n=38	Control group n=38	p-value
					p3=0.095
Hemoglobin (gm/dL)	11.4±1.3	11.7±2.1	13.2±0.9	<0.001	p1=0.659
					p2<0.001
					p3=0.010
TLC x103	6.6±3.8	6.7±2.9	7.1±2.2	0.693
Platelet count x103	151±61	174±82	250±54	<0.001	p1=0.467
					p2<0.001
					p3=0.001
Albumin (gm/dL)	3.23±0.49	3.51±0.53	4.54±0.62	<0.001	p1=0.325
					p2<0.001
					p3=0.012
T. Bilirubin (mg/dL)	1.5 (0.8-4.3)	1.1 (0.1-3.3)	0.7 (0.1-1.8)	0.002	p1=0.039
					p2=0.004
					p3=0.633
D. Bilirubin (mg/dL)	0.7 (0.1-2.2)	0.4 (0.1-1.6)	0.3 (0.2-0.7)	0.057
ALT (IU/mL)	48 (12-198)	28 (12-139)	20 (12-28)	0.005	p1=0.241
					p2=0.005
					p3=0.183
AST (IU/mL)	55 (18-271)	35 (1-78)	17 (10-30)	<0.001	p1<0.001
					p2<0.001
					p3=0.078
INR	1.53±0.37	1.33±0.21	1.02±0.09	<0.001	p1=0.161
					p2<0.001
					p3=0.001
S. creatinine (mg/dL)	1.16±0.39	0.99±0.33	0.83±0.27	0.003	p1=0.341
					p2=0.002
					p3=0.300
B. urea (mg/dL)	32.5 (15-98)	24 (12-45)	18 (6-23)	0.001	p1=0.148
					p2=0.001

Data are presented as mean±SD or median (range); TLC,Total leucocytic count; ALT, Alanine transaminase; AST, Aspartate aminotransferase; INR, International normalized ratio; p₁, HCC vs. Cirrhosis; p₂, HCC vs. Control; p₃, Cirrhosis vs. Control