Table 1 Baseline characteristics of 22 HBeAg-negative CHB patients included in the study

Male/female, n (%)

11/11(50/50)

-

1/4(5/18)

10/7(45/32)

0.127

4/3(18/14)

7/8(32/36)

0.647

4/7(18/32)

4/7(18/32)

1.000

Age, mean ± SD, years

48 ± 9

35 - 65

41.8 ± 8.3

50.1 ± 8.4

0.068

42.7 ± 8.4

50.7 ± 8.2

0.047

44.4 ± 9.1

50.4 ± 8.4

0.134

BMI, mean ± SD, kg/m²

24.54 ± 3.76

20.28 – 35.75

22.09 ± 1.51

25.26 ± 3.94

0.046

22.91 ± 1.64

25.30 ± 4.25

0.217

22.73 ± 1.61

25.57 ± 4.27

0.088

Positive family history of cirrhosis or HCC, n (%)

11/11(50)

-

3/2(14/9)

8/9(36/41)

0.611

3/4(14/18)

8/7(36/32)

0.647

4/7(18/32)

4/7(18/32)

1.000

HBsAg levels, mean ± SD, log IU/mL

3.36 ± 0.55

1.57 – 4.24

3.01 ± 0.84

3.46 ± 0.42

0.225

3.39 ± 0.24

3.34 ± 0.66

0.698

3.16 ± 0.68

3.47 ± 0.46

0.275

HBV DNA levels, mean ± SD, log IU/mL

4.92 ± 1.21

3.59 – 7.56

5.45 ± 1.55

4.76 ± 1.09

0.327

5.63 ± 1.30

4.59 ± 1.04

0.053

5.40 ± 1.38

4.65 ± 1.05

0.172

TB, mean ± SD, mg/dL

0.55 ± 0.22

0.17 – 0.96

0.40 ± 0.11

0.60 ± 0.23

0.08

0.44 ± 0.20

0.61 ± 0.22

0.109

0.46 ± 0.19

0.61 ± 0.23

0.120

DB, mean ± SD, mg/dL

0.15 ± 0.07

0.03 – 0.29

0.13 ± 0.05

0.16 ± 0.07

0.288

0.14 ± 0.08

0.16 ± 0.06

0.458

0.14 ± 0.07

0.16 ± 0.07

0.580

AST, mean ± SD, mg/dL

30.3 ± 11.4

15 - 64

41.0 ± 16.8

27.1 ± 7.3

0.071

34.0 ± 15.8

28.5 ± 8.8

0.572

35.5 ± 15.2

27.3 ± 7.6

0.231

ALT, mean ± SD, mg/dL

35.4 ± 17.3

13 - 70

47.4 ± 21.8

31.9 ± 1.47

0.077

36.1 ± 20.1

35.1 ± 1.64

0.896

38.8 ± 20.4

33.5 ± 15.8

0.507

ALP, mean ± SD, mg/dL

65.2 ± 16.7

40 - 109

85.0 ± 16.7

59.4 ± 11.7

0.001

69.3 ± 16.7

63.3 ± 16.9

0.443

74.3 ± 20.9

60.0 ± 11.6

0.051

GGT, mean ± SD, mg/dL

22.3 ± 12.5

9 - 63

24.8 ± 10.6

21.5 ± 13.2

0.347

23.9 ± 10.7

21.5 ± 13.5

0.459

24.1 ± 9.9

21.2 ± 14.0

0.274

Albumin, mean ± SD, g/dL

4.47 ± 0.13

4.2 – 4.7

4.40 ± 0.16

4.49 ± 0.11

0.153

4.44 ± 0.17

4.49 ± 0.11

0.468

4.46 ± 0.17

4.48 ± 0.11

0.784

Globulin, mean ± SD, g/dL

2.96 ± 0.34

2.20 – 3.50

3.16 ± 0.27

2.91 ± 0.35

0.151

3.03 ± 0.36

2.93 ± 0.35

0.559

3.00 ± 0.34

2.94 ± 0.36

0.718

INR, mean ± SD,

0.98 ± 0.07

0.88 – 1.14

1.00 ± 0.11

0.97 ± 0.05

0.527

0.99 ± 0.07

0.97 ± 0.07

0.554

1.01 ± 0.88

0.96 ± 0.05

0.103

White blood cells, mean ± SD, /mm³

6,650 ± 1,329

4,880 – 9,100

7,168 ± 1,267

6,497 ± 1,345

0.333

6,803 ± 1,209

6,578 ± 1,416

0.721

6,773 ± 1,123

6,579 ± 1,470

0.752

Absolute neutrophil count, mean ± SD, /mm³

3,456 ± 1,132

1,819 – 6,825

4,302 ± 1,691

3,207 ± 823

0.055

3,762 ± 1,608

3,313 ± 863

0.399

3,748 ± 1,489

3,289 ± 890

0.372

Absolute lymphocyte count, mean ± SD /mm³

2,405 ± 565

1,249 – 3,583

2,222 ± 527

2,459 ± 579

0.423

2,339 ± 531

2,435 ± 595

0.719

2,345 ± 492

2,439 ± 618

0.718

Hemoglobin, mean ± SD, g/dL

13.5 ± 1.3

9.8 – 15.6

13.7 ± 1.1

13.5 ± 1.4

0.781

13.6 ± 1.0

13.5 ± 1.5

0.793

13.8 ± 1.0

13.4 ± 1.5

0.503

Platelet, mean ± SD, x10³/mm³

234.5 ± 50.1

143 - 327

223.4 ± 70.2

237.8 ± 44.8

0.586

215.3 ± 55.7

243.5 ± 46.5

0.228

222.6 ± 55.6

241.2 ± 47.5

0.414

AFP, mean ± SD, ng/mL

2.71 ± 1.47

0.99 – 6.40

1.92 ± 0.62

2.95 ± 1.57

0.256

2.04 ± 0.73

3.03 ± 1.63

0.217

2.07 ± 0.68

3.08 ± 1.68

0.246

LS values, mean ± SD, kPa

7.12 ± 2.92

2.50 – 12.30

9.16 ± 3.00

6.59 ± 2.72

0.084

8.06 ± 2.56

6.77 ± 3.06

0.347

8.59 ± 2.83

6.37 ± 2.75

0.087

APRI, mean ± SD

0.35 ± 0.21

0.15 – 1.12

0.54 ± 0.37

0.30 ± 0.09

0.210

0.45 ± 0.33

0.30 ± 0.10

0.283

0.45 ± 0.31

0.30 ± 0.10

0.206