Table 1. The demographics characteristics of patients without liver cirrhosis (Group 1) and patients with liver cirrhosis (Group 2) in the enrolment and follow-up.

Characteristic	Group 1 (n = 132)	Group 2 (n = 101)	p-value
Age (mean±SD, Yr)	49.2±11.9	54.3±10.7	0.001
Male sex (%)	92(69.7)	76(75.2)	0.349
Initial AST (IU/L, mean±SD)	41.4±26.0	42.8±20.0	0.657
Initial ALT (IU/L, mean±SD)	51.2±39.3	43.4±25.3	0.083
Follow-up AST (IU/L, mean±SD)	30.7±18.6	34.7±12.1	0.058
Follow-up ALT (IU/L, mean±SD)	34.6±29.3	34.9±16.4	0.939
Initial log HBV DNA (IU/L, mean±SD)	3.64±2.6	3.53±2.5	0.478
Follow-up log HBV DNA (IU/L, mean±SD)	1.26±0.6	1.1±0.2	0.096
Initial log qHBsAg (IU/mL, mean±SD)*	3.22±0.9	2.8±1.1	0.961
Follow-up log qHBsAg (IU/mL, mean±SD)*	2.96±1.1	3.64±2.6	0.939
Total bilirubin (mg/dl, mean±SD)	0.8±0.4	1.3±0.6	<0.001
BMI (kg/m2, mean±SD)	24.2±3.5	24.6±3.5	0.332
AFP (ng/ml, mean±SD)	6.8±11.3	12.7±28.5	0.029
Initial LS measurement (kPa, mean±SD)	8.0±5.0	16.6±11.7	<0.001
Follow-up LS measurement (kPa, mean±SD)	6.2±3.2	13.9±10.8	<0.001
Interval of LS measurement (wks)	52.8±20.3	61.9±33.2	0.01
Therapy before initial LS measurement (wks)	36.6±45.5	38.1±49.1	0.809
Therapy before Follow-up LS measurement (wks)	89.4±49.4	100.0±57.9	0.132
Diabetes Mellitus (%)
Yes/No	23 (17.4)/109 (82.6)	12 (11.9)/89 (88.1)	0.241
HBeAg (%)
Positive/Negative	54 (40.9)/78 (59.1)	20 (19.8)/81 (80.2)	<0.001
Initial HBVDNA (iu/ml, %)
<2000/≧2000	70 (53.0)/62 (47.0)	51 (50.5)/50 (49.5)	0.701
Follow-up HBV DNA (iu/ml, %)
<2000/≧2000	131 (99.2)/1 (0.8)	101 (100)/0 (0)	0.381

Abbreviations: AST: aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; qHBsAg: quantitative hepatitis B virus surface antigen; BMI: body mass index AFP: alpha-fetoprotein; LS: liver stiffness; wks: weeks; HBeAg: hepatitis B virus e-antigen.

*The comparison was based on 94 patients, including 63 non-cirrhosis and 31 cirrhosis.