Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of Enrolled Patients.
| Variables | n=10 |
|---|---|
| Age, yr | 66 (58–75) |
| Sex | |
| Male/female | 6 (60)/4 (40) |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 25.7 (23.9–26.8) |
| Alcohol | |
| Never/quit | 6 (60)/4 (40) |
| Child-Pugh class | |
| A/B | 2 (20)/8 (80) |
| MELD score | 12.5 (10–14) |
| Ascites, yes | 7 (70) |
| Comorbidities | 4 (40) |
| Diabetes | 3 (30) |
| Hypertension | 4 (40) |
| Comedications | |
| Diuretics | 6 (60) |
| Anti-hypertensive | 4 (40) |
| Oral hypoglycemic agents | 3 (30) |
| Propranolol | 3 (30) |
| Pregabalin | 1 (10) |
| Branched-chain amino acid | 4 (40) |
| Laboratory findings | |
| WBC, /mm3 | 3870 (2710–4970) |
| Hb, g/dL | 12.7 (11.7–13.4) |
| PLT, ×1000/mm3 | 79 (63–91) |
| Cholesterol, mg/dL | 125.5 (119–147) |
| Bilirubin, mg/dL | 1.85 (1.1–2.3) |
| Albumin, g/dL | 3.2 (3.1–3.4) |
| AST, IU/L | 57 (42–65) |
| ALT, IU/L | 37 (25–43) |
| GGT, IU/L | 38 (29–63) |
| PT (INR) | 1.31 (1.24–1.35) |
| BUN, mg/dL | 16.5 (14–19) |
| Cr, mg/dL | 0.84 (0.77–1.23) |
| Fasting glucose, mg/dL | 109 (97–122) |
| Na, mM/L | 137.5 (134–140) |
| K, mM/L | 4.3 (3.8–4.6) |
| Ca, mg/dL | 8.7 (8.3–8.9) |
| Zn, ug/dL* | 57 (49.5–61) |
| Mg, mg/dL* | 2 (1.95–2.1) |
| Taurine, μM/L* | 73.5 (40.7–401.9) |
MELD, Model For End-Stage Liver Disease; WBC, white blood cell; Hb, hemoglobin; PLT, platelet; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; GGT, gamma glutamyl-transferase; PT, prothrombin time; INR, international normalized ratio; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; Cr, creatinine; Na, sodium; K, potassium; Ca, calcium; Zn, zinc; Mg, magnesium.
Median (interquartile range) or number (%).
*Reference levels: taurine, 65–179 µM/L; Zn, 66–110 ug/dL; Mg, 1.5–2.5 mg/dL.