Prophylactic antibiotics confer no advantage in elective endoscopic treatment for cirrhotic patients with gastroesophageal variceal bleeding history

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of enrolled patients, n (%) or median (interquartile range) or mean ± SD

Characteristics	AF (n = 220)	AP (n = 222)	P value
Male	164 (74.5)	154 (69.4)	0.226
Age (≥ 60 years)	105 (47.7)	121 (54.5)	0.154
Etiology of cirrhosis
Hepatitis B	100 (45.5)	97 (43.7)	0.710
Alcohol	65 (29.5)	62 (27.9)	0.707
Autoimmune	16 (7.3)	14 (6.3)	0.686
Schistosomiasis	7 (3.2)	11 (5.0)	0.346
Wilson’s disease1	2 (0.9)	4 (1.8)	0.685
MASLD	10 (4.5)	12 (5.4)	0.678
Hepatitis C1	3 (1.4)	1 (0.5)	0.371
Cryptogenic cirrhosis	17 (7.7)	21 (9.5)	0.516
Type of GEV
EV	201 (91.4)	209 (94.1)	0.259
GV	205 (93.2)	198 (89.2)	0.139
GOV1	149 (67.7)	139 (62.6)	0.259
GOV2	23 (10.5)	30 (13.5)	0.322
GOV3	14 (6.4)	16 (7.2)	0.724
IGV1	17 (7.7)	13 (5.9)	0.434
IGV21	2 (0.9)	0 (0.0)	0.247
Child-Pugh class
A	141 (64.1)	139 (62.6)	0.747
B + C	79 (35.9)	83 (37.7)
HVPG (≥ 12 mmHg)2	86 (51.5)	101 (56.7)	0.329
Diabetes	65 (29.3)	58 (26.1)	0.423
Hypertension	53 (23.9)	58 (26.1)	0.622
Portal vein thrombosis	46 (20.7)	51 (23.0)	0.600
Ascites	141 (63.5)	150 (67.6)	0.441
BMI (kg/m2)	22.25 (20.53, 24.28)	22.09 (20.28, 24.52)	0.831
ALT (U/L)3	25.5 (19.0, 34.8)	27.0 (20.0, 36.3)	0.414
AST (U/L)3	34.0 (28.0, 45.8)	36.0 (30.0, 46.0)	0.205
Albumin (g/L)	37.9 ± 5.1	37.7 ± 4.9	0.593
Total bilirubin (μmol/L)3	20.5 (13.3, 27.8)	18.1 (14.3, 25.1)	0.754
PT (second)3	14.9 (14.0, 15.8)	14.7 (14.1, 15.8)	0.608
WBC count (109/L)3	3.0 (2.3, 4.2)	3.3 (2.4, 4.6)	0.134
Neutrophil count (109/L)3	1.8 (1.3, 2.6)	1.9 (1.4, 2.7)	0.623
Hemoglobin (g/dL)3	10.5 ± 2.4	10.7 ± 2.3	0.202
Platelet count (109/L)3	66.0 (43.0, 103.8)	69.0 (44.0, 123.8)	0.300

¹Fisher’s exact test was used.

²The value of hepatic venous pressure gradient was available in only a proportion of recruiters (antibiotic-free: 167, antibiotic prophylaxis: 178).

³Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used.

AF: Antibiotic-free; AP: Antibiotic prophylaxis; GEV: Gastroesophageal varices; EV: Esophageal varices; GV: Gastric varices; GOV1: Gastroesophageal varices type 1; GOV2: Gastroesophageal varices type 2; GOV3: Gastroesophageal varices type 3; IGV1: Isolated gastric varices type 1; IGV2: Isolated gastric varices type 2; MASLD: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease; HVPG: Hepatic venous pressure gradient; BMI: Body mass index; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; PT: Prothrombin time; WBC: White blood cell.