Evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with chronic hepatitis C by EOB-MRI

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of 142 patients with chronic hepatitis C

Variables	Mean ± SD
Age (yr)	66.1 ± 12.4 (28-87)
Male (M/F)	70/72
AST (U/L)	48.9 ± 23.4 (11-155)
ALT (U/L)	51.7 ± 34.1 (10-228)
Serum albumin (g/dL)	4.1 ± 0.5 (2.4-5)
Gamma-GT(IU/L)	67 ± 92 (14-811)
ALP (U/L)	331 ± 171 (141-1206)
T.Chol (mg/dL)	175 ± 36 (90-280)
T.Bil (mg/dL)	0.86 ± 0.42 (0.3-2.9)
PT (%)	93 ± 15.2 (55.2-134)
Platelet (× 103/μL)	136 ± 60 (42-338)
AFP (ng/mL)	14.5 ± 27.5 (1.6-235)
LI	1.51 ± 0.19 (1.11-2.15)
Patients who received IFN, n (%)	39 (27.5)
Patients who achieved SVR, n (%)	27 (19.0)

AST: Aspartate amino transferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; Gamma-GT: Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; T.Chol: Total cholesterol; T.Bil: Total bilirubin; PT: Prothrombin time; AFP: α-fetoprotein; LI: Liver-intervertebral disc ratio; IFN: Interferon; SVR: Sustained virologic response; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; F: Female; M: Male.

Table 2 Comparison of baseline characteristics between patients who have no hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence and hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence

Variables	No HCC occurrence n = 121	HCC occurrence n = 21	P value
Age (yr)	65.4 ± 12.9 (28-87)	70.3 ± 7.9 (51-79)	0.094
Sex (M/F)	59/62	11/10	0.759
AST (U/L)	46.0 ± 20.4 (11-110)	65.5 ± 31.6 (34-155)	0.000
ALT (U/L)	49.5 ± 32.5 (10-228)	64.4 ± 40.5 (31-205)	0.063
Serum albumin (g/dL)	4.1 ± 0.5 (2.4-5)	3.8 ± 0.5 (2.6-4.7)	0.030
Gamma-GT (IU/L)	67 ± 97 (14-811)	62 ± 43 (16-226)	0.829
ALP (U/L)	315 ± 158 (141-1206)	426 ± 212 (150-1006)	0.006
T.Chol (mg/dL)	178 ± 36 (90-280)	159 ± 35 (93-260)	0.029
T.Bil (mg/dL)	0.86 ± 0.42 (0.3-2.9)	0.86 ± 0.42 (0.3-2.9)	0.287
PT (%)	94 ± 15.5 (55.2-134)	86.8 ± 12.0 (67-110)	0.045
Platelet (× 103/μL)	142 ± 61 (42-338)	104 ± 40 (46-166)	0.006
AFP (ng/mL)	11.7 ± 26.3 (1.6-235)	30.3 ± 31.6 (4.2-116)	0.004
LI	1.53 ± 0.20 (1.11-2.15)	1.37 ± 0.10 (1.23-167)	0.000
Patients who received IFN, n (%)	37 (30.6)	2 (9.5)	0.062
Patients who achieved SVR, n (%)	25 (20.7)	2 (9.5)	0.366

HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; AST: Aspartate amino transferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; Gamma-GT: Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; T.Chol: Total cholesterol; T.Bil: Total bilirubin; PT: Prothrombin time; AFP: α-fetoprotein; LI: Liver-intervertebral disc ratio; IFN: Interferon; SVR: Sustained virologic response; F: Female; M: Male.

Table 3 Risk factors contributing to hepatocellular carcinoma incidence

Variable	Univariate analysis			Multivariate analysis
	Risk ratio	95%CI	P-Value	Risk ratio	95%CI	P-value
Age (per 1 year old)	1.04	1.01-1.09	0.045	1.05	0.99-1.11	0.139
Sex (F)	0.74	0.31-1.73	0.483
AST (U/L)	1.02	1.01-1.03	< 0.001	1.01	0.99-1.03	0.200
ALT (U/L)	1.01	0.99-1.02	0.12
Serum albumin (g/dL)	0.27	0.12-0.60	0.001	0.62	0.17-2.26	0.469
Gamma-GT (IU/L)	1.00	0.99-1.01	0.942
ALP (U/L)	1.002	1.001-1.004	0.006	1.00	0.99-1.01	0.504
T.Chol (mg/dL)	0.98	0.97-0.99	0.01	0.99	0.98-1.01	0.483
T.Bil (mg/dL)	2.01	0.77-5.25	0.153
PT (%)	0.97	0.94-0.99	0.018	1.01	0.97-1.05	0.621
Platelet (× 103/μL)	0.98	0.97-0.99	0.003	0.99	0.98-1.01	0.281
AFP (≥ 10 ng/mL)	7.39	2.97-18.37	< 0.001	3.10	1.03-9.35	0.045
LI (< 1.46)	11.63	2.71-49.9	0.001	6.05	1.34-27.3	0.019
≥ 1.601	1.00
1.501 to 1.60	2.68	0.17-42.9	0.48
1.381 to 1.50	7.24	0.89-58.9	0.06
1.311 to 1.38	11.5	1.2-103	0.02
≤ 1.31	17.34	2.16-138.7	0.007
Patients who received IFN	0.20	0.04-0.87	0.032	1.09	0.21-5.62	0.917
Patients who achieved SVR	0.35	0.81-1.51	0.158

AST: Aspartate amino transferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; Gamma-GT: Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; T.Chol: Total cholesterol; T.Bil: Total bilirubin; PT: Prothrombin time; AFP: α-fetoprotein; LI: Liver-intervertebral disc ratio; IFN: Interferon; SVR: Sustained virologic response; F: Female.

Table 4 Analyses of liver-intervertebral disc ratio contributions to hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence risk divided by other risk factors

	Subgroup	n	Risk ratio	95%CI	P-value
Age	≥ 69	75	12.51	1.63-95.82	0.015
	< 69	67	9.2	1.11-76.58	0.041
Sex	Male	70	8.4	1.08-65.18	0.042
	Female	72	7.024	1.49-33.14	0.014
Platelet (× 103/μL)	< 120	67	4.48	1.01-19.89	0.048
	≥ 120	75	14.96	1.89-118.2	0.013
Albumin (g/dL)	< 4.2	72	9.7	1.27-74.24	0.029
	≥ 4.2	70	10.79	1.29-89.7	0.028
ALT ( U/L)	≥ 50	88	10.98	1.39-86.7	0.023
	< 50	54	12.7	1.62-99.63	0.016
IFN	-	103	13.35	1.78-100.1	0.011
	+	39	3.498	0.22-55.96	0.376
SVR	-	115	15.98	2.13-119.7	0.007
	+	27	3.795	0.28-60.74	0.346

ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; IFN: Interferon; SVR: Sustained virologic response.