Table 3. Treatment 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) | 182 | 57.04 (30.78-84.77) 58.93±11.81 | 91 | 56.01 (38.06-84.74) 58.99±11.83 | 91 | 58.17 (30.78-84.77) 58.86±11.85 | 0.927 |
| Sex (male) (%) | 182 | 123 (67.60%) | 91 | 59 (64.80%) | 91 | 64 (70.30%) | 0.428 |
| Etiology of Liver Diseases | 182 | 91 | 91 | 0.069 | |||
| HBV (%) | 44 (24.20%) | 28 (30.80%) | 16 (17.60%) | ||||
| HCV (%) | 10 (5.50%) | 5 (5.50%) | 5 (5.50%) | ||||
| Alcohol Abuse (%) | 49 (26.90%) | 18 (19.80%) | 31 (34.10%) | ||||
| HBV+Alcohol Abuse (%) | 22 (12.10%) | 12 (13.20%) | 10 (11.00%) | ||||
| HCV+Alcohol Abuse (%) | 2 (1.10%) | 1 (1.10%) | 1 (1.10%) | ||||
| Drug Related Liver Diseases (%) | 2 (1.10%) | 0 (0.00%) | 2 (2.20%) | ||||
| Autoimmune Liver Diseases (%) | 15 (8.20%) | 11 (12.10%) | 4 (4.40%) | ||||
| Other or Unknown Etiology (%) | 38 (20.90%) | 16 (17.60%) | 22 (24.20%) | ||||
| Potential inducement of HE | |||||||
| AUGIB (%) | 182 | 58 (31.90%) | 91 | 29 (31.90%) | 91 | 29 (31.90%) | 1.000 |
| Infection (%) | 182 | 47 (25.80%) | 91 | 21 (23.10%) | 91 | 26 (28.60%) | 0.397 |
| Ascites (%) | 182 | 136 (74.70%) | 91 | 67 (73.60%) | 91 | 69 (75.80%) | 0.733 |
| Ascites (None/Mild/ Moderate+Severe) (%) | 182 | 46 (25.30%)/22 (12.10%)/114 (62.60%) | 91 | 24 (26.40%)/10 (11.00%)/57 (62.60%) | 91 | 22 (24.20%)/12 (13.20%)/57 (62.60%) | 0.874 |
| Abdominal Paracentesis (%) | 182 | 28 (15.40%) | 91 | 15 (16.50%) | 91 | 13 (14.30%) | 0.681 |
| Overt HE | 182 | 91 | 91 | 1.000 | |||
| Grade 1-2 (%) | 124 (68.10%) | 62 (68.10%) | 62 (68.10%) | ||||
| Grade 3-4 (%) | 58 (31.90%) | 29 (31.90%) | 29 (31.90%) | ||||
| Laboratory Tests | |||||||
| RBC (1012/L) | 181 | 2.69 (1.19-5.33) 2.76±0.72 | 90 | 2.61 (1.19-4.54) 2.70±0.72 | 91 | 2.80 (1.52-5.33) 2.82±0.73 | 0.241 |
| Hb (g/L) | 181 | 89.00 (42.00-157.00) 89.84±24.91 | 90 | 89.50 (42.00-144.00) 87.72±22.93 | 91 | 87.00 (43.00-157.00) 91.93±26.69 | 0.367 |
| WBC (109/L) | 181 | 4.60 (1.10-31.40) 5.90±4.23 | 90 | 4.40 (1.10-31.40) 5.64±4.75 | 91 | 5.00 (1.30-21.00) 6.16±3.67 | 0.081 |
| PLT (109/L) | 181 | 76.00 (13.00-314.00) 82.55±49.55 | 90 | 68.50 (13.00-282.00) 77.98±51.20 | 91 | 80.00 (17.00-314.00) 87.08±47.71 | 0.077 |
| TBIL (μmol/L) | 182 | 38.95 (5.90-607.80) 62.40±76.80 | 91 | 37.10 (5.90-607.80) 61.37±85.35 | 91 | 39.30 (7.70-383.20) 63.43±67.64 | 0.437 |
| DBIL (μmol/L) | 182 | 17.70 (0.70-331.70) 33.86±48.78 | 91 | 16.80 (0.70-331.70) 32.02±52.69 | 91 | 18.80 (3.60-242.50) 35.71±44.75 | 0.297 |
| IBIL (μmol/L) | 182 | 19.10 (1.90-276.10) 28.54±31.10 | 91 | 18.50 (1.90-276.10) 29.36±35.71 | 91 | 19.70 (3.30-140.70) 27.72±25.84 | 0.842 |
| ALB (g/L) | 182 | 27.10 (0.40-42.50) 26.79±6.05 | 91 | 26.50 (10.50-42.50) 26.55±6.13 | 91 | 27.30 (0.40-42.40) 27.03±5.99 | 0.465 |
| ALT (U/L) | 182 | 26.00 (8.00-748.00) 41.63±70.97 | 91 | 25.00 (8.00-201.00) 35.88±33.10 | 91 | 27.00 (9.00-748.00) 47.38±74.70 | 0.467 |
| AST (U/L) | 182 | 43.50 (11.00-1230.00) 66.79±108.64 | 91 | 42.00 (14.00-228.00) 54.42±40.39 | 91 | 44.00 (11.00-1230.00) 79.15±147.63 | 0.563 |
| AKP (U/L) | 182 | 91.00 (17.00-470.00) 111.22±68.39 | 91 | 88.00 (25.00-402.00) 108.22±66.64 | 91 | 98.00 (17.00-470.00) 114.23±70.34 | 0.462 |
| GGT (U/L) | 182 | 43.00 (8.00-1102.00) 84.43±124.90 | 91 | 41.00 (9.00-702.00) 79.67±107.84 | 91 | 46.00 (8.00-1102.00) 89.19±140.36 | 0.402 |
| BUN (mmol/L) | 182 | 7.93 (1.58-62.45) 10.83±9.35 | 91 | 7.94 (1.72-46.02) 10.15±8.04 | 91 | 7.79 (1.58-62.45) 11.50±10.50 | 0.847 |
| Scr (μmol/L) | 182 | 69.50 (24.00-1069.00) 103.57±119.91 | 91 | 71.00 (25.00-533.60) 93.35±77.32 | 91 | 68.00 (24.00-1069.00) 113.79±150.75 | 0.830 |
| K (mmol/L) | 182 | 4.10 (2.25-5.99) 4.15±0.67 | 91 | 4.10 (2.65-5.57) 4.17±0.59 | 91 | 4.10 (2.25-5.99) 4.12±0.75 | 0.694 |
| Na (mmol/L) | 182 | 137.70 (83.00-152.40) 136.42±6.63 | 91 | 138.00 (83.00-146.60) 136.60±7.47 | 91 | 137.10 (121.00-152.40) 136.23±5.71 | 0.287 |
| Ammonia (μmol/L) | 177 | 73.00 (5.30-415.00) 81.47±57.54 | 88 | 75.50 (5.30-325.00) 80.87±58.85 | 89 | 72.00 (9.00-415.00) 82.07±56.54 | 0.818 |
| PT (seconds) | 182 | 18.20 (11.50-62.80) 19.50±6.11 | 91 | 18.30 (11.50-62.80) 19.87±7.36 | 91 | 18.00 (12.30-36.30) 19.14±4.55 | 0.821 |
| INR | 182 | 1.55 (0.88-7.96) 1.70±0.80 | 91 | 1.55 (0.88-7.96) 1.75±0.97 | 91 | 1.52 (0.94-3.60) 1.66±0.52 | 0.954 |
| APTT (seconds) | 182 | 45.95 (29.30-180.00) 48.98±14.89 | 91 | 47.00 (29.30-180.00) 49.75±17.18 | 91 | 44.80 (30.00-114.90) 48.22±12.22 | 0.495 |
| Child-Pugh Score | 182 | 10 (5-14) 9.95±2.01 | 91 | 10 (5-14) 9.92±1.90 | 91 | 10 (6-14) 9.98±2.13 | 0.895 |
| Child-Pugh Class A/B/C (%) | 182 | 4 (2.20%)/73 (40.10%)/105 (57.70%) | 91 | 2 (2.20%)/36 (39.60%)/53 (58.20%) | 91 | 2 (2.20%)/37 (40.70%)/52 (57.10%) | 0.988 |
| MELD Score | 182 | 12.21 (0.13-42.68) 13.50±8.40 | 91 | 11.92 (0.79-42.68) 13.07±7.96 | 91 | 12.50 (0.13-38.80) 13.94±8.84 | 0.676 |
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.