Table 2.
Factors associated with developing HCC at baseline
| Characteristics | Developing HCC | Non developing HCC | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 18 | 751 | |
| Age (years) | 72 (52–82) | 66 (18–88) | 0.033 |
| Gender, male/female | 11/7 | 306/445 | 0.083 |
| Genotype, 1/2 | 16/2 | 523/228 | 0.078 |
| Liver cirrhosis, yes/no | 12/6 | 137/614 | <0.001 |
| Diabetes, yes/no | 1/17 | 92/659 | 0.389 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 25.2 (19.4–32.0) | 23.0 (14.4–38.8) | 0.010 |
| eGFR (ml/min/1.73 m2) | 64.8 (33.2–105.3) | 74.5 (30.4–187.8) | 0.026 |
| Platelets count (×104/µl) | 12.5 (3.8–22.0) | 16.1 (12.3–20.1) | 0.014 |
| AST (U/L) | 47 (28–125) | 39 (11–272) | 0.039 |
| ALT (U/L) | 42 (15–101) | 39 (7–255) | 0.976 |
| Total bilirubin (mg/dl) | 0.9 (0.4–2.2) | 0.7 (0.2–2.3) | 0.083 |
| Albumin (g/dl) | 3.6 (2.0–4.7) | 4.2 (2.6–5.1) | <0.001 |
| M2BPGi | 7.3 (2.2–22.8) | 1.9 (0.1–24.2) | <0.001 |
| AFP (ng/ml) | 7.3 (1.8–68.5) | 4.1 (1.0–634.9) | 0.001 |
| Serum zinc (µg/dl) | 57 (28–84) | 70 (34–116) | <0.001 |
Categorical variables expressed as number (%) and the continuous variables as median (range). AFP, α-fetoprotein; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; BMI, body mass index; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; M2BPGi, Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer.