Clinical utility of telomeres as diagnostic and short-term prognostic markers in loco-regional treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 9 Comparison of alpha fetoprotein and telomere length before and after treatment according to response in the hepatocellular carcinoma group (Mann-Whitney test)

Variables		Response		P value
		Complete (total = 16)	Partial (total = 14)
AFP (ng/mL)	Before	57.6 (4.5-72.4)	291.2 (9.1-500.0)	0.028a
	After	11.5 (3.3-16.0)	147.4 (8.4-283.0)	0.011a
	Change	-46.1 (-48.4 to -0.5)	-143.8 (-206.3 to 2.1)	0.119
Telomere length (× 103)	Before	1.5 (0.9-2.1)	1.4 (1.0-1.5)	0.480
	After	1.8 (0.8-2.0)	1.6 (1.1-1.9)	0.318
	Change	0.3 (-1.1 to 0.8)	0.3 (-0.2 to 0.8)	0.454

^aP value < 0.05.

Data are presented as median (1^st-3^rd interquartile). AFP: Alpha fetoprotein.