Table 1.
Characteristics of EPIC cohort subjects with incident HCC (Cases) and matched controls (Controls) selected for the nested case-control study.
| Baseline characteristics | HCC cases (n=100) | Matched controls (n=194) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men, N (%) | 70 (70.0) | 136 (70.1) | matching criteria |
| Age at recruitment (y), mean (SD) | 60.6 (6.6) | 60.6 (6.7) | matching criteria |
| Follow-up from blood collection (y), mean (SD) | 4.8 (2.9) | -- | -- |
| Smoking status, N (%) | <0.001 | ||
| Never smoker | 25 (25.0) | 79 (40.7) | |
| Former smoker | 37 (37.0) | 83 (42.8) | |
| Current smoker | 36 (36.0) | 31 (16.0) | |
| With diabetes, N (%)a | 14 (14.0) | 10 (5.2) | 0.024 |
| Body Mass Index (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 27.9 (5.3) | 26.5 (3.6) | 0.004 |
| Physical activity, N (%)b | 0.230 | ||
| Inactive | 4 (4.0) | 24 (12.4) | |
| Moderately inactive | 31 (31.0) | 58 (30.0) | |
| Moderately active | 50 (50.0) | 87 (44.9) | |
| Active | 10 (10.0) | 18 (9.3) | |
| Lifetime pattern of alcohol intake, N (%) | <0.001 | ||
| Never drinkers | 10 (10.0) | 6 (3.1) | |
| Former drinkers | 13 (13.0) | 4 (2.1) | |
| Drinkers only at recruitment | 17 (17.0) | 43 (22.2) | |
| Lifetime drinkers | 60 (30.0) | 141 (72.7) | |
| Alcohol intake at recruitment (g/d), mean (SD) | 19.7 (28.1) | 15.2 (18.6) | 0.063 |
| Viral Hepatitis status, N (%) | |||
| Hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive | 12 (12.0) | 5 (2.6) | 0.001 |
| Hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive | 18 (18.0) | 4 (2.1) | <0.001 |
| HBV or HCV positive | 27 (27.0) | 8 (4.2) | <0.001 |
| Baseline serum biomarkers, median (5th–95th percentile) | |||
| α-fetoprotein (AFP), ng/ml | 6.4 (2.5–744.6) | 3.9 (1.9–9.0) | 0.014 |
| C reactive protein (CRP), mg/l | 2 (1–29.5) | 1 (1–7) | <0.001 |
| Liver function tests | |||
| Alanineaminotransferase (ALT), U/l | 33 (10–139.5) | 7 (9–45) | <0.001 |
| Aspartateaminotransferase (AST), U/l | 45 (15–147) | 19 (13–33) | <0.001 |
| Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), U/l | 87 (13–705) | 23 (10–75) | <0.001 |
| Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), U/l | 85 (44–177.5) | 59 (38–100) | <0.001 |
| Albumin, g/l | 39 (31–46.5) | 42 (37–48) | <0.001 |
| Total bilirubin, μmol/l | 10 (4–33) | 8 (4–16) | <0.001 |
| AST/ALT ratio | 1.1 (0.6–2.5) | 1.1 (0.6–1.9) | 0.0214 |
| BARD score,N (%) | 0.002 | ||
| 0–1 | 19 (19.0) | 29 (15.0) | |
| 2 | 39 (39.0) | 116 (59.8) | |
| 3–4 | 42 (42.0) | 49 (25.3) | |
| Osteopontin (OPN), ng/ml | 67.4 (29.1–167.3) | 53.7 (27.1–93.6) | <0.001 |
SD, standard deviation. Missing values were not excluded from percentage calculations; therefore the sum of percent across subgroups may not add up to 100%. Categorical variables are presented as numbers and percentages; continuous variables are presented as mean and standard deviations. Case-control differences were assessed using Student’s paired t-test, Wilcoxon’s signed rank test or McNemar’s test where appropriate.
Self-reported data. Number of cases and controls with missing data on diabetes status = 24.
Total physical activity categories were sex-specific. Number of cases and controls with missing data on physical activity = 12.