Table 1.

Patient characteristics	HCC (n=23)	Normal Healthy (n=20)
Gender (M:F)	16:7	10:10
Median age (yrs)	64 (40–82)
Child Pugh Class Liver function	A = 16	−
	B = 7
	C = 0
BCLC class	A = 0	−
	B = 21
	C = 2
	D = 0
Etiology of liver disease	Hepatitis B = 1	−
	Hepatitis C = 13
	Hepatitis B and C = 1
	Alcohol = 2
	No known risk factor = 6
Prior therapies (some patients had more than one therapy hence numbers ≠ 23)	None = 10	−
	Locoregional = 8
	Chemotherapy or biologic therapy = 7
	Liver resection = 4

For the stimulation assays 8 patients were chosen. Of those patients 5 are alive, median follow up time is 15 months (range 12–25 months) and of the 3 patients who have died, median survival was 7 months (range 2–10 months). The patients had BCLC class B (n=7) or C (n=1) liver function and Child Pugh class A (n=6) or class B (n=2) liver function. The etiology of cirrhosis was chronic hepatitis C (n=4) and neither hepatitis HBV or HCV (n=4).