Table I.
Association between TNF-α/p38MAPK expression and clinicopathological characteristics.
| TNF-α | p38MAPK | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parameter | n (%) | High | Low | P-value | High | Low | P-value |
| Sex | 0.989a | 0.846b | |||||
| Male | 67 (80.7) | 42 | 25 | 46 | 21 | ||
| Female | 16 (19.3) | 10 | 6 | 12 | 4 | ||
| Age, years | 0.803a | 0.567a | |||||
| <50 | 20 (24.1) | 13 | 7 | 15 | 5 | ||
| ≥50 | 63 (75.9) | 39 | 24 | 43 | 20 | ||
| Alcohol abuse | 0.835a | 0.268a | |||||
| Yes | 23 (27.7) | 14 | 9 | 14 | 9 | ||
| No | 60 (72.3) | 38 | 22 | 44 | 16 | ||
| HBV infection | 0.919b | 0.169b | |||||
| Yes | 74 (89.2) | 47 | 27 | 54 | 20 | ||
| No | 9 (10.8) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | ||
| TBIL level, µmol/l | 0.684b | 1.000b | |||||
| ≤22 | 72 (86.7) | 44 | 28 | 50 | 22 | ||
| >22 | 11 (13.3) | 8 | 3 | 8 | 3 | ||
| ALB level, g/l | 0.530b | 0.169b | |||||
| <35 | 9 (10.8) | 7 | 2 | 4 | 5 | ||
| ≥35 | 74 (89.2) | 45 | 29 | 54 | 20 | ||
| ALT level, U/l | 0.722a | 0.542b | |||||
| ≤60 | 68 (81.9) | 42 | 26 | 49 | 19 | ||
| >60 | 15 (18.1) | 10 | 5 | 9 | 6 | ||
| AST level, U/l | 0.803a | 0.026a | |||||
| ≤42 | 63 (75.9) | 39 | 24 | 48 | 15 | ||
| >42 | 20 (24.1) | 13 | 7 | 10 | 10 | ||
| PLT level, ×109 cells/l | 0.304a | 0.467b | |||||
| <100 | 19 (22.9) | 10 | 9 | 12 | 7 | ||
| ≥100 | 64 (77.1) | 42 | 22 | 46 | 18 | ||
| Liver cirrhosis | 1.000b | 0.871b | |||||
| Yes | 9 (10.8) | 6 | 3 | 7 | 2 | ||
| No | 74 (89.2) | 46 | 28 | 51 | 23 | ||
| AFP level, ng/l | 0.779a | 0.257a | |||||
| ≤400 | 63 (75.9) | 40 | 23 | 42 | 21 | ||
| >400 | 20 (24.1) | 12 | 8 | 16 | 4 | ||
| Child-Pugh grade | 1.000c | 0.301c | |||||
| A | 82 (98.8) | 51 | 31 | 58 | 24 | ||
| B | 1 (1.2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Tumor size, cm | 0.363b | 0.231b | |||||
| ≤5 | 76 (91.6) | 46 | 30 | 55 | 21 | ||
| >5 | 7 (8.4) | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Tumor margin, cm | 0.530b | 0.089b | |||||
| ≤2 | 74 (89.2) | 45 | 29 | 49 | 25 | ||
| >2 | 9 (10.8) | 7 | 2 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Pathological differentiation | 0.694b | 0.377b | |||||
| High | 8 (9.6) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| Middle and low | 75 (90.4) | 48 | 27 | 54 | 21 | ||
| Microvascular tumor thrombus | 0.722a | 0.991b | |||||
| Yes | 15 (18.1) | 10 | 5 | 11 | 4 | ||
| No | 68 (81.9) | 42 | 26 | 47 | 21 | ||
| Capsule invasion | 0.470b | 1.000c | |||||
| Yes | 76 (91.6) | 49 | 27 | 53 | 23 | ||
| No | 7 (8.4) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||
a
Pearson's χ2 test
b
Continuity correction by χ2 test
c
Fisher's exact test. TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor α; p38MAPK, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase; HBV, hepatitis B virus; TBIL, total bilirubin; ALB, albumin; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; PLT, platelet; AFP, α-fetoprotein.