Table 1.
Patient baseline characteristics.
| Parameter | PHG (n = 203) | EV (n = 41) | Controls (n = 137) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years (mean, SD) | 53.57 ± 6.61 | 55 ± 8.72 | 52.33 ± 11.06 | 0.923 |
| Sex: male, n (%) | 142 (69.95) | 31 (75.61) | 85 (62.04) | 0.456 |
| Etiology of cirrhosis, n (%) | ||||
| Hepatitis C virus | 199 (98.03) | 41 (100) | 137 (100) | 0.471 |
| Hepatitis B virus | 4 (1.97) | 0 (0) | 0(0) | |
| Ascites, n (%) | 90 (44.33) | 17 (41.46) | 39 (28.47) | 0.063 |
| History of hepatic encephalopathy, n (%) | 28 (13.79) | 4 (9.76) | 6 (4.38) | 0.089 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 11.15 ± 1.81 | 10.99 ± 1.52 | 11.31 ± 2.53 | 0.726 |
| WBCs (×109/L) | 5.23 ± 2.22 | 5.15 ± 2.09 | 5.93 ± 2.60 | 0.180 |
| Platelets (×109/L) | 101.70 ± 31.34a | 100 ± 30.61c | 125.54 ± 36.25 | <0.001∗ |
| ALT (U/L) | 43.34 ± 17.49 | 35.54 ± 15.69 | 39.28 ± 23.34 | 0.129 |
| AST (U/L) | 62.20 ± 26.62 | 53.34 ± 30.71 | 56.64 ± 29.67 | 0.308 |
| Serum albumin (g/dL) | 3.03 ± 0.56 | 3.05 ± 0.42 | 3.24 ± 0.61 | 0.086 |
| Total serum bilirubin (mg/dL) | 1.83 ± 1.24a,b | 1.29 ± 0.55 | 1.31 ± 0.92 | 0.007∗ |
| International normalized ratio | 1.29 ± 0.24 | 1.22 ± 0.19 | 1.24 ± 0.30 | 0.449 |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 0.97 ± 0.21 | 0.94 ± 0.27 | 0.96 ± 0.24 | 0.781 |
| Blood ammonia (μg/dL) | 162.12 ± 58.17a,b | 153.04 ± 59.41c | 103.23 ± 72.76 | <0.001∗ |
| Child-Pugh class, n (%) | ||||
| Class A | 97 (47.79) | 22 (53.66) | 77 (56.20) | 0.067 |
| Class B | 66 (32.51) | 17 (41.46) | 44 (32.12) | |
| Class C | 40 (19.70) | 2 (4.88) | 16 (11.68) | |
| Portal vein diameter (mm) | 13.64 ± 1.81a | 13.42 ± 1.49c | 11.75 ± 2.11 | <0.001∗ |
| Splenic longitudinal diameter (cm) | 15.84 ± 1.69a | 15.75 ± 1.74c | 14.28 ± 2.65 | <0.001∗ |
| Splenic vein diameter (mm) | 11.19 ± 1.20a | 11.10 ± 0.92c | 8.55 ± 1.91 | <0.001∗ |
| Esophageal varices, n (%) | 203 (100) | 41 (100) | — | — |
∗Statistically significant at P < 0.05; aP < 0.05 when compared with controls; bP < 0.05 when compared with esophageal varices; cP < 0.05 when compared with controls. ALT: alanine aminotransferase; AST: aspartate aminotransferase: WBCs, white blood cells; EV: esophageal varices; PHG: portal hypertensive gastropathy.