Patient characteristics
| Patients (n) | All | Propranolol responder | Carvedilol responder | Non-responder (EBL group) | p Value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 104 | 37 (35.6%) | 38 (36.5%) | 29 (27.9%) | ||
| Age (years) | 53±12 | 52±10 | 55±11 | 50±14 | 0.242 |
| Sex (m/f, % male) | 80/24 (77) | 29/12 (78) | 28/10 (74) | 23/6 (79) | 0.836 |
| Alcohol (n, %) | 57 (55) | 17 (46) | 26 (68) | 14 (48) | 0.214 |
| Viral (n, %) | 34 (33) | 14 (38) | 9 (24) | 11 (38) | 0.193 |
| NASH (n, %) | 11 (10) | 6 (16) | 3 (8) | 2 (7) | 0.319 |
| Other (n, %) | 2 (2) | 0 (−) | 0 (−) | 2 (7) | N/A |
| Child–Pugh stage (A/B/C, %B/C) | 66/30/8 (37) | 24/9/4 (35) | 26/10/2 (32) | 16/11/2 (45) | 0.488 |
| Previous ascites (n, %) | 11 (10) | 4 (11) | 3 (8) | 4 (13) | 0.410 |
| MELD (score) | 11.6±3.0 | 11.2±2.8 | 11.2±2.6 | 12.5±3.7 | 0.593 |
| Haemoglobin (g/dl) | 11.6±1.9 | 11.6±1.8 | 11.5±1.7 | 11.9±2.2 | 0.668 |
| Platelet count (G/L) | 113±66 | 110±78 | 114±59 | 115±63 | 0.778 |
| WBC (G/L) | 5.3±2.6 | 5.1±2.8 | 5.4±2.2 | 5.4±3.0 | 0.723 |
| Serum bilirubin (mg/dl) | 2.12±1.6 | 1.78±0.83 | 2.16±1.50 | 2.51±2.26 | 0.654 |
| INR | 1.27±0.17 | 1.28±0.21 | 1.23±0.14 | 1.32±0.13 | 0.174 |
| Serum albumin (mg/dl) | 35.2±5.4 | 35.9±6.5 | 34.8±5.4 | 34.9±3.8 | 0.732 |
| Liver stiffness (kPa) | 44.7±22.2 | 42.2±25.1 | 43.6±21.6 | 49.7±19.5 | 0.600 |
| Small varices <5 mm (n, %) | 41 (39) | 15 (41) | 17 (45) | 9 (31) | 0.519 |
| Large varices ≥5 mm (n, %) | 63 (61) | 22 (59) | 21(55) | 20 (69) | |
| Presence of red spots (n, %) | 32 (31) | 10 (27) | 15 (39) | 7 (24) | 0.338 |
| Baseline HVPG (mm Hg) | 20.5±4.1 | 20.8±4.2 | 20.4±4.1 | 20.2±3.8 | 0.703 |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 83±15 | 82±12 | 86±16 | 78±17 | 0.166 |
| Mean arterial pressure (mm Hg) | 101±14 | 101±13 | 104±13 | 96±14 | 0.118 |
*Comparisons between the three treatment groups (propranolol, carvedilol, EBL) was performed by Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance.
EBL, endoscopic band ligation; HVPG, hepatic venous pressure gradient; INR, international normalised ratio; MELD, model of end-stage liver disease; NASH, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; WBC, white blood cells.