Table 3.

Correlation between LLN metastasis and clinical and MRA status

	LLN metastasis		Univariate analysis	Multivariate analysis
	Negative (n = 82)	Positive (n = 20)	P value	Odds ratio	95% C.I.	P value
Clinical status
Age (<64/≥64 years)	39/43	14/6	0.072
Sex (male/female)	53/59	11/9	0.424
Tumor central location (Ra/Rb, P)	15/67	3/17	0.510
Distance from anal verge (<5/≥5 cm)	40/42	14/6	0.088
CEA level (<5/≥5 ng/mL)	52/30	13/7	0.895
CA19-9 level (<38/≥38 U/mL)	75/7	16/4	0.141
Tumor size (<44/≥44 mm)	37/45	14/6	0.046	1.328	0.389–4.537	0.651
cT status (≤cT1, T2/≥cT3, T4)	21/61	3/17	0.245
cN status (proximal lymph node area) (positive/negative)	56/26	16/4	0.303
Clinical LLN status (positive/negative)	13/69	13/7	<0.001	7.409	2.316–23.697	0.001
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (yes/no)	13/69	8/12	0.023
Distant metastasis (cM0/cM1)	74/8	17/3	0.369
Tumor resection margin (R0/R1)	75/7	18/2	0.561
MRA status evaluated by ceMRI
MRA (positive/negative)	48/34	19/1	0.002	8.922	1.045–76.159	0.045
Laterality of MRA			<0.001
Bilateral/unilateral/absent	18/30/34	14/5/1

LLN lateral lymph node, MRA middle rectal artery, CEA carcinoembryonic antigen, CA19-9 carbohydrate antigen 19-9, AL type antero-lateral type, L type lateral type, PL type postero-lateral type