Main clinical and laboratory features of the 31 patients in the study
| Continuous variables are expressed as median (range). | |||
| HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HDV, hepatitis delta virus; GEC, galactose elimination capacity. | |||
| *Spleen size was assessed by ultrasonography. | |||
| †Hepatic encephalopathy was graded from I (mild) to IV (severe). | |||
| Aetiology of cirrhosis (n) | HCV related—12 | Serum bilirubin concn (mg/dl) | 2.7 (0.3–14.9) |
| HBV related—4 | Prothrombin activity (% of control) | 60 (24–100) | |
| HBV and HDV related—2 | Serum IgG concn (g/dl) | 1.96 (0.78–3.66) | |
| HCV and HBV related—3 | Haemoglobin concn (g/dl) | 12.1 (7.9–15.4) | |
| Alcohol related—7 | Neutrophil granulocyte count (/mm3) | 2.4×103 (0.93–7.3×103) | |
| Primary biliary cirrhosis—2 | Platelet count (/mm3) | 61×103 (30–171×103) | |
| Cryptogenic—1 | Splenomegaly (n)* | 31 | |
| Child-Pugh class (n) | A:10; B:14; C:7 | Hepatic encephalopathy (grade:n)† | I:1; II: 1 |
| Child-Pugh score | 8 (5–12) | Ascites (n) | 20 |
| Serum albumin concn (g/dl) | 3.4 (2.6–4.5) | GEC (mg/kg/min; n=23) | 4 (2.6–5.9) |