Table 1.

Samples used for marker validation

Disease diagnosis:	Controlsa)	PSCb)	Cholangiocarcinomac)	p value
Number	39	39	39	–
Etiology (n) (HBV/HCV/negative/unknown)d)	1/10/22/7	0/0/29/10	1/0/21/17	–
Cirrhosis (n)e)	9	17	0	–
Hepatic Mass(n)f)	11	0	0	–
Secondary liver cancer(n)g)	7	0	0	–
Other liver diseaseh)	12	0	0
Agei)	NA	47.82 (± 13.87)	62.0(17.0)	p < 0.001
ALTj)	NA	115.0 (± 154.4)	191 (± 723)	p = 0.733
ASTk)	NA	120.6(± 218.8)	225 (±1021)	p = 0.528
Alk Phosl)	NA	477.9 (± 441.1)	266(± 257)	p = 0.011
Albuminm)	NA	3.69(± 0.5741)	3.80 (± 0.65)	p = 0.421

^a)Control patients are those with benign liver disease, metastases from other primary sites, or chronic liver disease that is not defined as PSC or cholangiocarcinoma.

^b)Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) was diagnosed as described in methods.

^c)Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) was diagnosed as described in methods.

^d)Number of patients with positive serology for Hepatitis B virus (HBV) or Hepatitis C virus (HCV), negative serologic markers, or unknown hepatitis status.

^e)The number of patients with liver cirrhosis as defined in material and methods.

^f)Number of patients with non-malignant hepatic masses.

^g)Patients with liver metastases from other primary sites, (n = 7),

^h)Patients with other liver disease not mentioned. These include chronic Hepatitis C without cirrhosis (n = 7), nonalchoholic steatohepatitis (n = 1), non-functioning islet cell tumor with probable liver metastases (n = 1), benign fibrotic gallbladder disease (n = 1), advanced alcoholic liver disease with fluid retention (n = 1), and autoimmune hepatitis with biliary involvement/immune-associated cholangitis (n = 1)

ⁱ⁾Mean age ± standard deviation.

^j)Mean level of alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) ± standard deviation (IU/mL).

^k)Mean level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ± standard deviation (IU/mL).

^l)Mean level of alkaline phosphatase (Alk Phos) ± standard deviation (IU/mL).

^m)Mean level of serum albumin ± standard deviation (IU/mL).