Table 3 Factors associated with HCC development after DAA therapy: Univariate Cox regression analysis

History of treated HCC with CRR before DAA therapy start

11

(4.2)

7

(46.7)

28.88

(9.32–89.49)

< 0.001

Male

171

(64.8)

12

(80)

2.47

(0.69–8.78)

0.162

Age, year

58.5

± 12.9

67.1

± 9.4

1.07

(1.02–1.12)

0.007

BMI, kg/m²

23.6

± 4.0

24.6

± 3.9

1.06

(0.92–1.22)

0.400

HCV genotype

 1b

126

(47.7)

10

(66.7)

1.78

(0.61–5.22)

0.295

 Non-1b

136

(51.5)

5

(33.3)

1

–

HCV viral load before DAA therapy, ×10⁶ IU/ml

3.5

± 9.4

2.4

± 2.5

0.97

(0.82–1.13)

0.663

DAA therapy duration, weeks

12 [8, 12]

12 [12, 12]

1.07

(0.96–1.18)

0.210

Haemoglobin, g/dL

13.8

± 2.0

14.1

± 2.1

1.12

(0.86–1.47)

0.410

Platelets, ×10⁹/L

174.6

± 71.4

128.4

± 56.8

0.99

(0.98–0.999)

0.035

Creatinine, umol/L

85.0

± 86.7

84.9

± 30.8

1.00

(0.99–1.01)

0.901

ALT at the start of DAA therapy, IU/L

85.3

± 111.3

96.2

± 83.7

1.001

(0.997–1.004)

0.703

ALT at the end of DAA therapy, IU/L

23.6

± 17.9

31.3

± 34.7

1.01

(0.99–1.03)

0.209

Total bilirubin, umol/L

13.0

± 6.5

20.5

± 12.1

1.09

(1.04–1.14)

< 0.001

Albumin, g/L

38.1

± 5.0

35.1

± 7.0

0.89

(0.81–0.97)

0.007

Prothrombin time, second

11.7

± 1.1

12.0

± 1.3

1.32

(0.86–2.02)

0.202

AFP at the start of DAA therapy, ng/ml

9.0

± 18.6

47.2

± 70.1

1.02

(1.01–1.03)

< 0.001

AFP at the end of DAA therapy, ng/ml

4.1

± 5.1

10.0

± 6.6

1.09

(1.05–1.14)

< 0.001

HBV co-infection

15

(5.7)

1

(6.7)

0.99

(0.13–7.57)

0.990

HIV co-infection

20

(7.6)

0

–

–

Diabetes mellitus

47

(17.8)

2

(13.3)

0.64

(0.14–2.83)

0.554

Cirrhosis

119

(45.1)

12

(80)

3.57

(1.00–12.77)

0.0499

Liver stiffness, kPa

10.1 [7, 14.5]

22.3 [14.4, 26.6]

1.03

(1.00–1.06)

0.079

Fatty liver

101

(38.3)

2

(13.3)

0.26

(0.06–1.17)

0.079

SVR 12

261

(98.9)

15

(100)

–

–

Evidence of portal hypertension

56

(21.2)

9

(60)

4.27

(1.51–12.07)

0.006

History of anti-viral treatment before DAA therapy

68

(25.8)

6

(40)

1.18

(0.40–3.43)

0.766

HCV infection suspected to be via previous intra-venous drug abuse

113

(42.8)

6

(40)

1.11

(0.39–3.13)

0.848

HCV infection suspected to be via previous blood transfusion

57

(21.6)

3

(20)

0.69

(0.19–2.46)

0.568