Table 2. Correlation between clinicopathologic variables and IL-10 mRNA expression in HCC.

Variable	Cases (120)	–∆∆CtIL-10 ≤0 (N=51)	–∆∆CtIL-10 >0 (N=69)	P*
Gender				0.140
Male	96	44	52
Female	24	7	17
Age (y)				0.243
≥50	85	39	46
<50	35	12	23
HBV history				0.407
Yes	92	41	51
No	28	10	18
Differentiation				0.327
G1	48	23	25
G2-3	72	28	44
Cirrhosis				0.193
Yes	82	37	45
No	38	22	16
Tobacco				0.156
Yes	76	36	40
No	44	15	29
Alcohol				0.659
Yes	71	29	42
No	49	22	27
Lymph node status				0.405
N0	42	20	22
N1	78	31	47
Metastasis classification				0.002
M0	53	31	22
M1	67	20	47
AFP (µg/L)				0.002
≥30	82	27	55
<30	38	24	14

*, statistical significance determined by Pearson’s chi-squared test. IL-10, interleukin-10; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; MI, methylation index; HBV, hepatitis B virus; AFP, α-fetoprotein.