Table 4.

Patients with abnormal liver biomarker values

	Group PRO (n = 99)	Group CON (n = 101)	p
Patients with abnormal liver biomarkers on admission
ALT > ULN (45 U/L) on admission, n (%)	21 (21.2%)	26 (25.7%)	0.450
ALT > 3ULN on admission, n (%)	2 (2.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0.549
AST > ULN (45U/L) on admission, n (%)	27 (27.3%)	27 (26.7%)	0.932
AST > 3ULN on admission, n (%)	3 (3.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0.303
Total bilirubin > ULN (21 μmol/L) on admission, n (%)	4 (4.0%)	4 (4.0%)	0.977
Serum albumin < ULN (35 g/L) on admission, n (%)	10 (10.1%)	4 (4.0%)	0.889
ALP > ULN (360 U/L) on admission, n (%)	3 (3.0%)	3 (3.0%)	0.980
GGT > ULN (60 U/L) on admission, n (%)	11 (11.1%)	15 (14.9%)	0.432
Any abnormal liver biomarker, n (%)	45 (45.5%)	50 (49.5%)	0.566
Patients with progression of pre-admission liver injury
Increase in the ALT level during the trial in those with high ALT levels at admission, n (%)	12 (12.1%)	12 (11.9%)	0.958
Increase in the AST level during the trial in those with high AST levels at admission, n (%)	4 (4.0%)	10 (9.9%)	0.105
Any progression of pre-admission liver injury, n (%)	15 (15.2%)	16 (15.8%)	0.893
Patients who developed liver injury after admission
ALT > ULN during the trial, n (%)	25 (25.3%)	15 (14.9%)	0.066
ALT > 3ULN during the trial, n (%)	5 (5.1%)	11 (10.9%)	0.128
AST > ULN during the trial, n (%)	18 (18.2%)	9 (8.9%)	0.055
AST > 3ULN during the trial, n (%)	1 (1.0%)	4 (4.0%)	0.182
Total bilirubin > ULN during the trial, n (%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)	0.159
Serum albumin < ULN during the trial, n (%)	5 (5.1%)	6 (5.9%)	0.783
ALP > ULN during the trial, n (%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)	0.159
GGT > ULN during the trial, n (%)	3 (3.0%)	5 (5.0%)	0.488
Any liver injury after admission, n (%)	32 (32.3%)	23 (22.8%)	0.130

ALT alanine aminotransferase, ULN upper limit of normal, AST aspartate aminotransferase, ALP alkaline phosphatase, GGT gamma-glutamyl transferase