T cell exhaustion markers in hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma: Expression patterns and prognostic significance in an Egyptian cohort

Table 7 Immune profiles and mortality in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, mean ± SD/median (interquartile range)

Parameter	Survivors (n = 33)	Non-survivors (n = 17)	t/Z1	P value
CD4/PD-1 (%)	34.86 ± 0.25	35.63 ± 0.21	-10.52	< 0.001a
CD8/PD-1 (%)	36.20 ± 0.27	37.28 ± 0.26	-13.63	< 0.001a
CD4/TIGIT (%)	13.54 ± 0.21	14.21 ± 0.17	-11.32	< 0.001a
CD8/TIGIT (%)	17.43 ± 0.21	18.11 ± 0.17	-11.56	< 0.001a
CD4/TIM-3 (%)	14.50 ± 0.17	15.11 ± 0.17	-12.12	< 0.001a
CD8/TIM-3 (%)	16.86 ± 0.17	17.67 ± 0.27	-12.66	< 0.001a
CD3 (%)	65.72 ± 0.41	66.90 ± 0.32	-10.46	< 0.001a
CD4 (%)	38.60 ± 0.43	39.94 ± 0.36	-10.95	< 0.001a
CD8 (%)	20.64 ± 0.36	21.88 ± 0.35	-11.65	< 0.001a
CD4/CD8 ratio	1.87 ± 0.01	1.83 ± 0.01	11.82	< 0.001a
AFP (ng/mL)	12004 (10341-13654.5)	14030 (13672.5-14406)	-3.85	< 0.001a

¹t: Independent samples t-test, adjusted for age and Child-Pugh class using ANCOVA to control for demographic and liver function confounders. Z: Mann-Whitney U test for alpha-fetoprotein.

^aP < 0.001.

Etiology controlled by study design (hepatitis C virus genotype 4 for hepatocellular carcinoma patients, confirmed by quantitative hepatitis C virus polymerase chain reaction targeting 5’ untranslated region). PD-1: Programmed death 1; TIGIT: T-cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain; TIM-3: T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein.