Table 1. Prevention study – Baseline characteristics in albumin and control groups after PSM.
| Variables | No. Pts | Overall | No. Pts | Albumin group | No. Pts | Control group | P value |
| Age (years) | 708 | 56.80 (14.37-89.19) 57.82±12.54 | 354 | 57.63 (17.41-87.13) 58.12±12.57 | 354 | 56.45 (14.37-89.19) 57.52±12.52 | 0.454 |
| Sex (male) (%) | 708 | 440 (62.10%) | 354 | 226 (63.80%) | 354 | 214 (60.50%) | 0.352 |
| Etiology of Liver Diseases | 708 | 354 | 354 | 0.207 | |||
| HBV (%) | 192 (27.10%) | 102 (28.80%) | 90 (25.40%) | ||||
| HCV (%) | 43 (6.10%) | 22 (6.20%) | 21 (5.90%) | ||||
| Alcohol Abuse (%) | 150 (21.20%) | 63 (17.80%) | 87 (24.60%) | ||||
| HBV+Alcohol Abuse (%) | 68 (9.60%) | 42 (11.90%) | 26 (7.30%) | ||||
| HCV+Alcohol Abuse (%) | 11 (1.60%) | 5 (1.40%) | 6 (1.70%) | ||||
| Drug Related Liver Diseases (%) | 9 (1.30%) | 6 (1.70%) | 3 (0.80%) | ||||
| Autoimmune Liver Diseases (%) | 46 (6.50%) | 22 (6.20%) | 24 (6.80%) | ||||
| Other or Unknown Etiology (%) | 189 (26.70%) | 92 (26.00%) | 97 (27.40%) | ||||
| Potential inducement of HE | |||||||
| AUGIB (%) | 708 | 196 (27.70%) | 354 | 88 (24.90%) | 354 | 108 (30.50%) | 0.093 |
| Infection (%) | 708 | 121 (17.10%) | 354 | 58 (16.40%) | 354 | 63 (17.80%) | 0.618 |
| Ascites (%) | 708 | 454 (64.10%) | 354 | 231 (65.30%) | 354 | 223 (63.00%) | 0.531 |
| Ascites (None/Mild/ Moderate+Severe) (%) | 708 | 254 (35.90%)/90 (12.70%)/364 (51.40%) | 354 | 123 (34.80%)/43 (12.10%)/188 (53.10%) | 354 | 131 (37.00%)/47 (13.30%)/176 (49.70%) | 0.662 |
| Abdominal Paracentesis (%) | 708 | 73 (10.30%) | 354 | 45 (12.70%) | 354 | 28 (7.90%) | 0.036 |
| Laboratory Tests | |||||||
| RBC (1012/L) | 706 | 2.98 (1.01-5.89) 3.00±0.78 | 353 | 3.05 (1.25-5.57) 3.05±0.73 | 353 | 2.87 (1.01-5.89) 2.94±0.83 | 0.024 |
| Hb (g/L) | 706 | 92.00 (27.00-176.00) 91.85±28.07 | 353 | 95.00 (29.00-169.00) 94.42±26.89 | 353 | 87.00 (27.00-176.00) 89.29±29.02 | 0.011 |
| WBC (109/L) | 706 | 4.10 (0.80-33.00) 5.16±3.73 | 353 | 3.80 (0.80-26.00) 4.88±3.49 | 353 | 4.30 (1.00-33.00) 5.44±3.95 | 0.030 |
| PLT (109/L) | 706 | 74.00 (3.00-467.00) 93.24±68.27 | 353 | 73.00 (17.00-394.00) 87.61±57.35 | 353 | 76.00 (3.00-467.00) 98.86±77.35 | 0.183 |
| TBIL (μmol/L) | 708 | 23.30 (1.90-809.80) 44.20±70.97 | 354 | 24.30 (2.00-379.50) 38.44±47.17 | 354 | 22.40 (1.90-809.80) 49.96±88.30 | 0.737 |
| DBIL (μmol/L) | 706 | 10.40 (0.30-562.80) 24.37±49.21 | 354 | 10.80 (0.30-276.20) 20.51±33.10 | 352 | 10.00 (0.40-562.80) 28.24±61.08 | 0.772 |
| IBIL (μmol/L) | 706 | 13.05 (0.90-265.30) 19.91±25.55 | 354 | 13.35 (0.90-124.70) 17.93±16.99 | 352 | 12.45 (1.30-265.30) 21.90±31.85 | 0.801 |
| ALB (g/L) | 708 | 30.15 (0.40-50.00) 30.20±6.28 | 354 | 29.70 (13.10-50.00) 30.06±6.42 | 354 | 30.60 (0.40-45.50) 30.34±6.14 | 0.191 |
| ALT (U/L) | 708 | 25.00 (4.00-1460.00) 41.57±84.90 | 354 | 26.00 (4.00-495.00) 37.45±44.36 | 354 | 25.00 (5.00-1460.00) 45.69±111.51 | 0.985 |
| AST (U/L) | 708 | 37.00 (7.00-1366.00) 58.32±80.67 | 354 | 37.00 (7.00-649.00) 56.51±58.18 | 354 | 36.00 (8.00-1366.00) 60.11±98.20 | 0.202 |
| AKP (U/L) | 708 | 86.00 (17.00-969.00) 124.03±114.25 | 354 | 84.75 (26.00-739.70) 122.86±113.31 | 354 | 89.00 (17.00-969.00) 125.20±115.33 | 0.531 |
| GGT(U/L) | 708 | 51.00 (6.00-2280.00) 119.25±193.61 | 354 | 48.00 (6.00-1221.00) 109.05±174.79 | 354 | 58.00 (8.00-2280.00) 129.45±210.51 | 0.117 |
| BUN (mmol/L) | 708 | 6.08 (1.72-62.45) 7.80±6.45 | 354 | 6.18 (1.72-44.34) 7.69±5.81 | 354 | 6.00 (1.81-62.45) 7.91±7.03 | 0.307 |
| Scr (μmol/L) | 708 | 61.00 (23.00-933.90) 89.25±112.89 | 354 | 61.00 (27.40-702.00) 83.34±86.44 | 354 | 60.95 (23.00-933.90) 95.15±134.10 | 0.430 |
| K (mmol/L) | 701 | 3.99 (2.13-8.28) 4.00±0.58 | 353 | 4.00 (2.68-8.28) 4.01±0.54 | 348 | 3.99 (2.13-7.24) 3.99±0.62 | 0.655 |
| Na (mmol/L) | 701 | 138.70 (118.90-157.80) 138.07±4.45 | 353 | 138.40 (124.60-157.80) 138.14±4.33 | 348 | 138.95 (118.90-152.40) 138.01±4.56 | 0.737 |
| Ammonia (μmol/L) | 343 | 36.00 (9.00-791.60) 47.27±58.18 | 164 | 35.00 (9.00-791.60) 45.79±71.75 | 179 | 36.00 (9.00-238.00) 48.62±42.26 | 0.228 |
| PT (seconds) | 708 | 15.80 (10.50-42.50) 16.45±3.49 | 354 | 15.80 (11.00-33.70) 16.30±3.05 | 354 | 15.80 (10.50-42.50) 16.59±3.89 | 0.850 |
| INR | 708 | 1.27 (0.76-4.75) 1.35±0.39 | 354 | 1.27 (0.79-3.28) 1.33±0.34 | 354 | 1.26 (0.76-4.75) 1.37±0.44 | 0.769 |
| APTT (seconds) | 708 | 42.60 (27.30-472.40) 44.73±19.51 | 354 | 43.45 (28.80-83.30) 43.98±7.34 | 354 | 41.90 (27.30-472.40) 45.49±26.60 | 0.050 |
| Child-Pugh Score | 708 | 8 (5-13) 7.96±1.71 | 354 | 8 (5-13) 7.97±1.69 | 354 | 8 (5-13) 7.96±1.74 | 0.677 |
| Child-Pugh Class A/B/C (%) | 708 | 143 (20.20%)/444 (62.70%)/121 (17.10%) | 354 | 73 (20.60%)/224 (63.30%)/57 (16.10%) | 354 | 70 (19.80%)/220 (62.10%)/64 (18.10%) | 0.777 |
| MELD Score | 708 | 7.30 (-5.64-38.80) 8.31±6.76 | 354 | 7.19 (-5.64-26.71) 8.10±6.03 | 354 | 7.33 (-5.08-38.80) 8.51±7.41 | 0.986 |
Abbreviations: Pts: Patients; HBV: Hepatic B Virus; HCV: Hepatic C Virus; AUGIB: Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding, RBC: Red Blood Cell; Hb: Hemoglobin; WBC: White Blood Cell; PLT: Platelet Count; TBIL: Total Bilirubin; DBIL: Direct Bilirubin; IBIL: Indirect Bilirubin; ALB: Albumin; ALT: Alanine Aminotransferase; AST: Aspartate Aminotransferase; AKP: Alkaline Phosphatase; GGT: Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase; BUN: Blood Urea Nitrogen; Scr: Serum Creatinine; K: Potassium; Na: Sodium; PT, Prothrombin Time; INR: International Standardization Ratio; APTT: Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time; MELD: Model for End-stage Liver Disease.