Table 3.
Subgroup analysis of IgG-levels
| Study cohort | Normal IgG levels (N = 82) | Elevated IgG levels (N = 66) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender [Male %] | 105 (70.9%) | 55 (67.1%) | 50 (75.8%) | 0.32 |
| Median age at initial diagnose [years] | 33.5 (26–47) | 40 (28–50) | 30 (23–39) | 0.001 1 |
| Presence of IBD [N, %] | 99 (66.9%) | 50 (50.5%) | 49 (49.5%) | 0.12 |
| AIH/PSC overlap [N, %] | 5 (3.4%) | 2 (2.4%) | 3 (4.5%) | 0.73 |
| Dominant stenosis | 87 (58.7%) | 48 (55.2%) | 39 (44.8%) | 0.52 |
| BMI | 22.7 (17.1–31.9) | 22.2 (17.1–27.1) | 23.4 (19.9–31.9) | 0.1 |
| Mayo Risk score | −0.521 (−1.15–0.52) | −0.273 (−1.07–0.83) | −0.107 (− 1.02–1.01) | 0.41 |
| MELD | 6 (6–15) | 6 (6–15) | 6 (6–14) | 0.4 |
| Presents of CCA [N, %] | 12 (8.1%) | 7 (8.5%) | 5 (7.6%) | 0.82 |
| Death [N, %] | 37 (25%) | 15 (18.3%) | 22 (33.3%) | 0.04 2 |
| OLT [N, %] | 32 (21.6%) | 13 (15.9%) | 19 (29.8%) | 0.172 |
| Re-OLT [N, %] | 9 (6.1%) | 4 (4.9%) | 5 (4.6%) | 0.52 |
| Combined endpoint (death and OLT) | 57 (38.5%) | 23 (40.4%) | 34 (59.6%) | 0.004 2 |
Table shows differences between the subgroup of patients with normal (N = 82) and elevated IgG-levels (N = 66). Patients with elevated IgG levels were significant younger than patients with IgG levels within the normal range (p < 0.005). Patients with elevated IgG levels died more often or reached the combined endpoint (death and OLT) compared to patients that had IgG levels within the normal range (p < 0.05 and p < 0.005, respectively. There was a trend towards an increased number of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in patients with hypergammaglobulinemia (p = 0.057). Bold values indicates significant P-values (<0.05)
Abbreviations: IBD = inflammatory bowel disease, AIH/PSC = autoimmune hepatitis/primary sclerosing cholangitis, MELD score = Model for End-stage Liver Disease, CCA = cholangiocarcinoma, OLT = orthotopic liver transplantation
1Mann-Witney- U test was applied
2Chi2-Test was applied
3Fisher’s exact test was applied