Table 1.
Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics
| Variable | Total (n=100) | Men (n=69) | Women (n=31) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Observation period (days), median [IQR] | 746 [466–1455] | 673 [460–1473] | 826 [563–1456] | 0.348 |
| Age (years), median [IQR] | 71 [60–77] | 66 [59–74] | 75 [73–80] | 0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2), median [IQR] | 23.6 [21.4–26.4] | 24.0[22.0–26.4] | 22.7 [20.8–26.7] | 0.206 |
| SMI (cm2/m2), median [IQR] | 45.2 [40.0–49.5] | 47.2 [44.5–53.3] | 39.0 [35.3–42.0] | <0.001 |
| VATI (cm2/m2), median [IQR] | 42.2 [23.9–58.6] | 47.8 [29.8–58.5] | 30.3 [15.4–60.6] | 0.126 |
| SATI (cm2/m2), median [IQR] | 41.3 [25.5–55.6] | 37.0 [24.4–49.8] | 46.6 [30.3–62.3] | 0.059 |
| VSR, median [IQR] | 0.97 [0.69–1.28] | 1.07 [0.83–1.78] | 0.75 [0.45–0.93] | <0.001 |
| Etiology (HBV/HCV/NBNC), n | 11/49/40 | 11/28/30 | 0/21/10 | 0.012 |
| ALT (U/L), median [IQR] | 37 [23–59] | 42 [25–69] | 27 [21–41] | 0.016 |
| Total bilirubin (mg/dL), median [IQR] | 1.0 [0.7–1.4] | 1.0 [0.7–1.5] | 0.9 [0.7–1.2] | 0.348 |
| Albumin (g/dL), median [IQR] | 3.7 [3.2–4.0] | 3.7 [3.2–4.1] | 3.7 [3.2–4.0] | 0.794 |
| Platelet count (×104/µL), median [IQR] | 12.2 [7.4–17.3] | 12.2 [7.4–18.1] | 12.0 [7.4–15.9] | 0.835 |
| Child–Pugh classification (A/B), n | 72/28 | 47/22 | 25/6 | 0.235 |
| AFP (ng/mL), median [IQR] | 21.4 [7.0–313.8] | 14.0 [7.0–224.5] | 29.8 [7.0–808.0] | 0.461 |
| TNM stage (I/II vs. III/IV), n | 11/30 vs. 37/22 | 8/18 vs. 26/17 | 3/12 vs. 11/5 | 0.381 |
| Maximal tumor size (mm), median [IQR] | 32 [20–65] | 36 [20–72] | 26 [21–51] | 0.304 |
| Number of lesions (solitary/multiple), n | 30/70 | 19/50 | 11/20 | 0.482 |
| Treatment modality (TACE/TAI/TACE+TAI) | 26/21/53 | 16/15/38 | 10/6/15 | 0.633 |
| mRECIST (CR/PR/SD vs. PD), n | 19/17/8 vs. 56 | 13/10/7 vs. 39 | 6/7/1 vs. 17 | 1.000 |
| BCAA supplementation (yes/no) | 66/34 | 46/23 | 20/11 | 0.824 |
Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; BMI, body mass index; SMI, skeletal muscle index; VATI, visceral adipose tissue index; SATI, subcutaneous adipose tissue index; VSR, visceral to subcutaneous adipose tissue area ratio; HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; NBNC, none of HBV or HCV; ALT, alanine transaminase; AFP, alpha-fetoprotein; TNM, tumor node metastasis; TACE, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization; TAI, transcatheter arterial infusion chemotherapy; mRECIST, Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors; CR, complete response; PR, partial response; SD, stable disease; PD, progressive disease; BCAA, branched chain amino acids.