Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)− and AFP+ patients.
| Characteristic | AFP− (<20 ug/mL) (n = 199) |
AFP+ (≥20 ug/mL) (n = 231) |
p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient demographic | |||
| Age | 60.00 (54.00–66.00) | 56.00 (49.00–62.00) | <0.001 |
| Gender | 0.058 | ||
| Male | 173 | 185 | |
| Female | 26 | 46 | |
| Liver disease | 0.262 | ||
| HBV/HCV | 125 | 157 | |
| Other | 74 | 74 | |
| Liver cirrhosis | 0.018 | ||
| Present | 69 | 56 | |
| Absent | 130 | 175 | |
| Ascites | 0.309 | ||
| Present | 25 | 37 | |
| Absent | 174 | 194 | |
| Laboratory parameters | |||
| ALT (IU/L) | 32.00 (21.00–45.00) | 34.00 (24.00–53.00) | 0.114 |
| AST (IU/L) | 33.00 (25.00–48.00) | 38.00 (27.00–55.00) | 0.027 |
| ALB | 42.50 (40.10–45.20) | 42.20 (39.30–44.80) | 0.227 |
| TBIL | 16.40 (11.90–20.80) | 16.30 (13.20–20.80) | 0.459 |
| DBIL | 3.20 (2.30–4.10) | 3.30 (2.50–4.20) | 0.239 |
| CR | 65.00 (58.00–73.00) | 65.0 (57.00–75.00) | 0.708 |
| ALP (IU/L) | 98.00 (78.00–127.25) | 109.00 (89.00–133.00) | 0.002 |
| GGT (IU/L) | 49.00 (32.00–96.00) | 66.00 (39.00–120.00) | 0.002 |
| PLT | 165.00 (126.00–214.00) | 168.00 (122.00–217.00) | 0.966 |
| CA199 | 16.86 (8.70–29.34) | 20.91 (11.62–36.32) | 0.005 |
| CEA | 2.57 (1.58–3.74) | 2.67 (1.78–3.79) | 0.995 |
| Child-Pugh grade | 0.059 | ||
| A | 196 | 221 | |
| B | 3 | 11 | |
| MRI features | |||
| Multifocality | 0.100 | ||
| Solitary | 166 | 178 | |
| Multiple | 33 | 53 | |
| L-max | 0.007 | ||
| ≤5 cm | 118 | 110 | |
| >5 cm | 81 | 121 | |
| Tumor margin | 0.006 | ||
| Smooth | 45 | 29 | |
| Non-smooth | 154 | 202 | |
| Tumor-capsule | 0.183 | ||
| Present | 179 | 198 | |
| Absent | 20 | 33 | |
| Peritumoral enhancement | <0.001 | ||
| Present | 18 | 50 | |
| Absent | 181 | 181 | |
| Rim enhancement | <0.001 | ||
| Present | 35 | 79 | |
| Absent | 164 | 152 | |
| TTPVI | 0.001 | ||
| Present | 99 | 151 | |
| Absent | 100 | 80 | |
| Intra-hemorrhage | 0.152 | ||
| Present | 33 | 51 | |
| Absent | 166 | 180 | |
| Intra-necrosis | 0.401 | ||
| Present | 63 | 82 | |
| Absent | 136 | 149 | |
| Histologic characteristics | |||
| Histologic grade | <0.001 | ||
| Poor | 42 | 92 | |
| Mediate | 149 | 137 | |
| Well | 8 | 2 | |
| Satellite nodules | 0.002 | ||
| Present | 27 | 59 | |
| Absent | 172 | 172 | |
| MVI | <0.001 | ||
| Present | 79 | 131 | |
| Absent | 120 | 100 | |
| Early recurrence | <0.001 | ||
| Present | 75 | 131 | |
| Absent | 124 | 100 |
ALT = Alanine aminotransferase, AST = Aspartate aminotransferase, ALB = Serum albumin, TBIL = Total bilirubin, DBIL = Direct bilirubin, CR = Creatinine, ALP = Alkaline phosphatase, GGT = γ-glutamyl transpeptadase, PLT = Platelet count, CA199 = Carbohydrate antigen199, CEA = Carcinoembryonic antigen, L-max = Maximum tumor length, TTPVI = Two-trait predictor of venous invasion, MVI = Microvascular invasion.