Table 1.
Comparisons of Clinicopathological and Operative Variables Between the IAGR and NAGR Groups
| Variables | Total (N=693) |
IAGR Group (N=136) |
NAGR Group (N=557) |
P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years* | 51.5 ± 11.6 | 53.2 ± 10.4 | 50.7 ± 11.3 | 0.001 |
| Male sex | 610 (88.0) | 110 (80.9) | 500 (89.8) | 0.004 |
| ASA score > 2 | 82 (11.8) | 20 (14.7) | 62 (11.1) | 0.247 |
| HBV (+) | 632 (91.2) | 127 (93.4) | 505 (90.7) | 0.316 |
| HCV (+) | 38 (5.6) | 7 (5.4) | 31 (5.7) | 0.471 |
| Cirrhosis | 492 (71.0) | 108 (79.4) | 384 (68.9) | 0.016 |
| Portal hypertension | 230 (33.2) | 62 (45.6) | 168 (30.2) | 0.001 |
| Preoperative hemoglobin, g/L* | 142.1 ± 17.3 | 135.5 ± 20.6 | 144.2 ± 16.9 | < 0.001 |
| Preoperative platelet, 109/L* | 126.4 ± 67.1 | 121.5 ± 68.3 | 139.2 ± 66.7 | 0.001 |
| Preoperative INR* | 1.09 ± 0.12 | 1.14 ± 0.13 | 1.08 ± 0.11 | < 0.001 |
| Preoperative creatinine, μmol/L* | 73.2 ± 16.8 | 69.4±14.6 | 74.1±17.1 | 0.003 |
| Preoperative bilirubin, μmol/L* | 15.0 ± 5.8 | 16.5 ± 6.3 | 14.6 ± 5.6 | 0.002 |
| Preoperative albumin, g/L* | 40.9 ± 4.0 | 37.5 ± 3.5 | 41.8 ± 3.7 | < 0.001 |
| Preoperative globulin, g/L* | 30.4 ± 5.1 | 36.9 ± 4.0 | 28.7 ± 3.9 | < 0.001 |
| Preoperative albumin-to-globulin ratio* | 1.39 ± 0.27 | 0.89 ± 0.09 | 1.48 ± 0.21 | < 0.001 |
| Preoperative ALT, U/L* | 43.3 (7.5–467.2) | 49.1 (9.7–324.1) | 42.7 (7.5–467.2) | 0.004 |
| Preoperative AST, U/L* | 40.4 (13.3–346.6) | 54.8 (16.6–346.6) | 38.4 (13.3–273) | < 0.001 |
| Child-Pugh grade, A/B | 631/62(91.8/8.2) | 120/16(88.7/11.3) | 537/20(96.5/3.5) | 0.049 |
| MELD score* | 6.34 ± 2.13 | 7.18 ± 2.31 | 6.15 ± 2.03 | < 0.001 |
| ALBI grade* | −2.7 ± 0.36 | −2.4 ± 0.33 | −2.8 ± 0.32 | < 0.001 |
| Preoperative AFP > 400 μg/L | 253 (36.5) | 49 (36.0) | 204 (36.6) | 0.897 |
| Maximum tumor size, cm* | 6.0 ± 3.9 | 6.7 ± 4.2 | 5.9 ± 3.8 | 0.046 |
| Multiple tumors | 153 (22.1) | 28 (20.6) | 125 (22.4) | 0.640 |
| Macrovascular invasion | 23 (3.3) | 8 (5.9) | 15 (2.7) | 0.063 |
| Microvascular invasion | 353 (50.9) | 66 (48.5) | 287 (51.5) | 0.531 |
| Satellite nodules | 162 (23.4) | 31 (22.8) | 131 (23.5) | 0.858 |
| Poor tumor differentiation | 551 (79.5) | 107 (78.7) | 444 (79.7) | 0.788 |
| Incomplete tumor encapsulation | 405 (58.4) | 81 (59.6) | 324 (58.2) | 0.768 |
| BCLC staging, A/B+C | 428/265(61.8/38.2) | 68/68 (50/50) | 360/197(64.6/35.4) | 0.002 |
| Intraoperative blood loss, mL* | 300 (30–8000) | 400 (50–8000) | 300 (30–4600) | < 0.001 |
| Intraoperative blood transfusion | 136 (19.6) | 36 (26.5) | 100 (18.0) | 0.025 |
| Major hepatectomy | 165 (23.8) | 31 (22.8) | 134 (24.1) | 0.756 |
| Anatomical resection | 497 (71.7) | 105 (77.2) | 392 (70.4) | 0.113 |
| Resection margin < 1 cm | 246 (35.5) | 61 (44.9) | 185 (33.2) | 0.011 |
Note: *Values are mean ± standard deviation or median (range) unless otherwise indicated.
Abbreviations: AFP, alpha-fetoprotein; ALBI, Albumin-Bilirubin; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; ASA, American Society of Anesthesiologists; AST, aspartate transaminase; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; IAGR, inversed albumin-to-globulin ratio; INR, international normalized ratio; MELD, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease; NAGR, normal albumin-to-globulin ratio.