Optimized digital polymerase chain reaction enables detection of telomerase reverse transcriptase C228T mutation for prognostic assessment in hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 1 Clinicopathological characteristics of hepatectomy patients stratified by survival and recurrence status, n (%)

Characteristics	Survival			Recurrence
	Live, n = 44	Death, n = 22	P value	No, n = 24	Yes, n = 42	P value
Age			0.432			0.080
≤ 55	26 (59.1)	10 (45.5)		17 (70.8)	19 (45.2)
> 55	18 (40.9)	12 (54.5)		7 (29.2)	23 (54.8)
Gender			0.193			0.512
Male	38 (86.4)	16 (72.7)		21 (87.5)	33 (78.6)
Female	6 (13.6)	6 (27.3)		3 (12.5)	9 (21.4)
ALT			0.501			0.817
≤ 40 U/L	33 (75.0)	14 (63.6)		18 (75.0)	29 (69.0)
> 40 U/L	11 (25.0)	8 (36.4)		6 (25.0)	13 (31.0)
AST			0.117			0.560
≤ 40 U/L	37 (84.1)	14 (63.6)		20 (83.3)	31 (73.8)
> 40 U/L	7 (15.9)	8 (36.4)		4 (16.7)	11 (26.2)
LDH			0.281			0.736
≤ 214 U/L	39 (88.6)	17 (77.3)		21 (87.5)	35 (83.3)
> 214 U/L	5 (11.4)	5 (22.7)		3 (12.5)	7 (16.7)
GGT			0.025a			0.058
≤ 55 U/L	32 (72.7)	9 (40.9)		19 (79.2)	22 (52.4)
> 55 U/L	12 (27.3)	13 (59.1)		5 (20.8)	20 (47.6)
APTT			1.000			0.511
≤ 34.6 seconds	37 (84.1)	18 (81.8)		19 (79.2)	36 (85.7)
> 34.6 seconds	7 (15.9)	4 (18.2)		5 (20.8)	6 (14.3)
AFP			0.003a			0.817
≤ 200 ng/mL	37 (84.1)	10 (45.5)		18 (75.0)	29 (69.0)
> 200 ng/mL	7 (15.9)	12 (54.5)		6 (25.0)	13 (31.0)
Cirrhosis			0.739			0.733
No	8 (18.2)	3 (13.6)		3 (12.5)	8 (19.0)
Yes	36 (81.8)	19 (86.4)		21 (87.5)	34 (81.0)
Alcohol			0.258			0.561
No	24 (54.5)	8 (36.4)		10 (41.7)	22 (52.4)
Yes	20 (45.5)	14 (63.6)		14 (58.3)	20 (47.6)
Tumor number			0.720			0.306
Single	38 (86.4)	18 (81.8)		22 (91.7)	34 (81.0)
Multiple	6 (13.6)	4 (18.2)		2 (8.3)	8 (19.0)
Tumor diameter			1.000			1.000
≤ 2 cm	3 (6.8)	1 (4.5)		1 (4.2)	3 (7.1)
> 2 cm	41 (93.2)	21 (95.5)		23 (95.8)	39 (92.9)
MVI1			0.052			0.722
Negative	30 (75.0)	10 (45.5)		15 (68.2)	25 (62.5)
1	7 (17.5)	8 (36.4)		4 (18.2)	11 (27.5)
2	3 (7.5)	4 (18.2)		3 (13.6)	4 (10.0)
Differe			0.132			0.322
High	9 (20.5)	1 (4.5)		5 (20.8)	5 (11.9)
Medium	28 (63.6)	14 (63.6)		16 (66.7)	26 (61.9)
Low	7 (15.9)	7 (31.8)		3 (12.5)	11 (26.2)
LCI			1.000			1.000
No	19 (43.2)	9 (40.9)		10 (41.7)	18 (42.9)
Yes	25 (56.8)	13 (59.1)		14 (58.3)	24 (57.1)
BVI			0.022a			0.325
No	37 (84.1)	12 (54.5)		20 (83.3)	29 (69.0)
Yes	7 (15.9)	10 (45.5)		4 (16.7)	13 (31.0)
BCLC			0.551			0.388
A	13 (29.5)	4 (18.2)		7 (29.2)	10 (23.8)
B	29 (66.0)	16 (72.7)		17 (70.8)	28 (66.7)
C	2 (4.5)	2 (9.1)		0 (0.0)	4 (9.5)
Digital polymerase chain reaction TERT mutation			0.066			0.005a
No	28 (63.6)	8 (36.4)		19 (79.2)	17 (40.5)
Yes	16 (36.4)	14 (63.6)		5 (20.8)	25 (59.5)
Sanger TERT mutation			0.786			0.038a
No	28 (63.6)	13 (54.5)		19 (79.2)	21 (50.0)
Yes	16 (36.4)	9 (45.5)		5 (20.8)	21 (50.0)

¹Four patients had missing data.

^aP < 0.05 was significant.

ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; LDH: Lactate dehydrogenase; GGT: Gamma-glutamyl transferase; APTT: Activated partial thromboplastin time; AFP: Alpha fetoprotein; MVI: Microvascular invasion; Differe: Tumor differentiation; LCI: Liver capsular invasion; BVI: Blood vessel invasion; BCLC: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; TERT: Telomerase reverse transcriptase.