Table 1. Patient characteristics of the MR elastography study population.

	Normal liver stiffness (n = 105)	Any degree of liver fibrosis (shear modulus ≥ 2.8 kPa)(n = 36)	p—value	Beginning liver fibrosis(shear modulus 2.8–3.5 kPa)(n = 17)	Significant liver fibrosis(shear modulus ≥ 3.5 kPa)(n = 19)	p—value
Age, years	52 ± 13	59 ± 13	0.012	59 ± 15	58 ± 10	0.490
Male, %	50 (48%)	29 (81%)	0.001	13 (76%)	16 (84%)	0.684
BMI, kg/m2	27 ± 9	29 ± 7	0.012	29 ± 7	29 ± 7	0.775
Tobacco	16 (15%)	15 (42%)	0.002	4 (24%)	11 (58%)	0.049
Arterial hypertension	22 (21%)	13 (36%)	0.078	4 (24%)	9 (47%)	0.177
Dyslipidemia	8 (11%)	8 (26%)	0.082	5 (29%)	3 (16%)	0.434
Diabetes	5 (5%)	10 (28%)	<0.001	3 (18%)	7 (37%)	0.274
Chronic renal insufficiency	1 (1%)	1 (3%)	0.447	0 (0%)	1 (5%)	0.999
≥ 1 medicament daily	26 (25%)	19 (53%)	0.003	4 (24%)	15 (79%)	0.001
≥ 2 medicaments daily	7 (7%)	13 (36%)	<0.001	2 (12%)	11 (58%)	0.006
AST, U/l	25 ± 12	43 ± 26	<0.001	34 ± 25	50 ± 26	0.032
ALT, U/l	31 ± 37	43 ± 33	0.006	39 ± 29	46 ± 36	0.436
GGT, U/l	31 ± 31	100 ± 124	<0.001	38 ± 20	150 ± 150	<0.001
Alkaline phosphatase, U/l	74 ± 34	87 ± 46	0.184	69 ± 27	102 ± 53	0.180
Bilirubin, μmol/l	9.2 ± 6	19 ± 17	0.003	8 ± 4	25 ± 17	0.001
Albumin	35 ± 7	34 ± 4	0.213	33 ± 4	35 ± 4	0.413
Quick, %	98 ± 4	81 ± 20	<0.001	93 ± 0.3	75 ± 20	0.021
Creatinine, μmol/l	80 ± 22	78 ± 20	0.746	91 ± 19	75 ± 21	0.153

Values are the mean ± SD or n. p-values were calculated using Mann-Whitney U or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate.

MR = magnetic resonance; BMI = body mass index; AST = aspartate transaminase; ALT = alanine aminotransferase; GGT = gamma-glutamyltransferase