Table 2.
Clinical characteristics according to IL-6 status.
| IL-6-low (n = 140) | IL-6-high (n = 25) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 61 (55–68) | 64 (58–69) | 0.120 |
| Male sex | 119 (85.0%) | 20 (80.0%) | 0.527 |
| ECOG performance status | 0.058 | ||
| 0 | 62 (44.3%) | 6 (24.0%) | |
| 1 | 78 (55.7%) | 19 (76.0%) | |
| Child–Pugh classification | <0.001 | ||
| A5 | 92 (65.7%) | 7 (28.0%) | |
| A6 | 35 (25.0%) | 10 (40.0%) | |
| B7 | 13 (9.3%) | 8 (32.0%) | |
| BCLC stage | 0.287 | ||
| B | 31 (22.1%) | 3 (12.0%) | |
| C | 109 (77.9%) | 22 (88.0%) | |
| AFP ≥400 ng/ml, n (%) | 45 (32.1%) | 11 (44.0%) | 0.249 |
| Presence of MVI | 48 (34.3%) | 13 (52.0%) | 0.091 |
| Presence of extrahepatic spread | 79 (56.4%) | 17 (68.0%) | 0.280 |
| Aetiology of HCC | 0.720 | ||
| Hepatitis B | 100 (71.4%) | 17 (68.0%) | |
| Hepatitis C | 9 (6.4%) | 3 (12.0%) | |
| Alcohol | 17 (12.1%) | 2 (8.0%) | |
| Other or unknown | 14 (10.0%) | 3 (12.0%) | |
| CRAFITY score | <0.001 | ||
| 0 | 63 (45.0%) | 2 (8.0%) | |
| 1 | 64 (45.7%) | 10 (40.0%) | |
| 2 | 13 (9.3%) | 13 (52.0%) | |
| Prior local therapy for HCC | 98 (70.0%) | 11 (44.0%) | 0.011 |
AFP, alpha-foetoprotein; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; CRAFITY, C-reactive protein and AFP in immunotherapy; ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; MVI, macrovascular invasion.