Variables | Control (9) | PNALT (17) | CLD (32) | HCC (30) | p-value |
---|
M/W | 7/2 | 12/5 | 24/8 | 25/5 | < 0.001 |
Age (years): Mean ± SD | 50.9 ± 4.6b | 35.1 ± 11.5c | 43.4 ± 8.7b | 60.7 ± 8.3a | < 0.001 |
Log HCV-titer | <615* | 10.9 ± 3.2a | 9.9 ± 4.1a | 5.2 ± 4.7b | < 0.001 |
- Groups with similar letters are not different statistically. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. M/W: Men/Women; PNALT: chronic hepatitis C with persistent normal alanine aminotrasferase; CLD: chronic liver disease; HCC: hepatocellular carcinoma. *All cases were under detection limit (<615 IU/ml) and so they were not included in the statistical analysis (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA).