Elevated plasma levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in patients with chronic hepatitis C during interferon-based antiviral therapy

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of clinical, biochemical and virologic variables and their relations to baseline NT-proBNP concentrations in multiple regression analysis (mean ± SE)

Variables	Value(mean ± SE)	Regressioncoefficient	Standarderror	P
Age (yr)	51 ± 1.6	-0.03	0.8	0.96
Body weight (kg)	76.5 ± 1.9	0.2	0.7	0.76
ALT (U/L)	59 ± 5.9	0.3	0.34	0.35
AST (U/L)	31 ± 2.9	-0.3	0.84	0.67
γ-GT (U/L)	41 ± 6.1	-0.01	0.2	0.95
Bilirubin (mg/dL)	0.7 ± 0.04	77	105.7	0.47
γ-globulins (mg/dL)	1.5 ± 0.07	2.4	17.7	0.89
Prothrombin time (%)	95 ± 1.5	0.7	1.0	0.51
Albumin (g/L)	4.8 ± 0.04	-9.1	33.2	0.78
Cholinesterase (kU/L)	6.1 ± 0.23	-1.4	6.1	0.81
Baseline HCV RNA (copies/mL)	4 705 302 ± 984 817	0.02 × 10-5	0.2 × 10-5	0.31
log decline of HCV RNA (baseline wk 12)	2.7 ± 0.12	-5.9	16.0	0.71