Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients

Age—years

61.00(57.00–66.00)

64.00(59.00–67.00)

60.50(57.00–66.00)

64.50(60.00–69.00)

57.00(50.00–62.00)

61.00(58.00–67.00)

0.671

 < 0.001

Male (%)

44.42

64.86

39.16

68.75

38.86

35.00

0.252

0.190

Follow-up time (months)

66.60 ± 12.30

47.30(30.40–58.80)

65.20 ± 13.90

37.20(28.10–51.60)

27.80 ± 13.50

26.80 ± 18.10

0.226

 < 0.001

BMI (kg/m²)

26.74 ± 3.83

25.45(22.83–27.62)

26.87 ± 9.28

25.00(24.24–26.23)

24.89 ± 4.69

26.39 ± 3.14

0.872

 < 0.001

Hypertension (%)

36.36

24.32

37.95

43.75

24.64

20.00

0.092

0.015

Diabetes (%)

24.42

27.03

31.33

12.50

23.70

35.00

0.950

0.845

Hyperlipidemia (%)

12.73

5.41

20.48

18.75

–

–

0.020

–

Alcohol use disorder (%)

13.77

27.03

16.27

31.25

25.59

25.00

0.445

 < 0.001

Fibrotic stage (%)

 ≥ F3

83.64

70.27

89.76

75.00

84.83

75.00

0.061

0.702

Decompensated cirrhosis

16.36

29.73

10.24

25.00

15.17

25.00

0.061

0.702

Antiviral regimen (%)

PEG ± RBV

37.92

21.62

31.93

6.25

0.179

–

DAA

45.45

62.16

47.59

56.25

74.41

50.00

0.644

 < 0.001

PR + DAA

16.63

16.22

20.48

37.50

25.59

50.00

0.277

0.009

HCV genotype (%)

1b

64.94

70.27

69.28

93.75

63.51

75.00

0.323

0.643

2a

27.79

18.92

22.89

–

21.80

20.00

0.231

0.109

3a

–

–

–

–

3.32

–

–

–

3b

–

–

–

–

4.26

5.00

–

–

6a

–

–

–

–

7.11

–

–

–

Undetected

7.27

10.81

7.83

6.25

–

–

0.819

 < 0.001

HCV-RNA (log IU/ml)

6.00 ± 0.87

5.90(5.02–6.66)

6.14 ± 0.85

6.35(5.56–6.85)

5.59 ± 0.84

5.63 ± 0.81

0.183

 < 0.001

WBC (× 10⁹/L)

4.89(3.73–6.02)

4.09(2.96–5.08)

4.98(3.85–6.40)

4.92(3.19–6.25)

4.19(3.13–5.45)

3.37(2.94–4.85)

0.625

 < 0.001

HGB (g/L)

137.56 ± 20.11

125.29 ± 24.32

136.06 ± 17.59

132.80(113.25–158.00)

132.77 ± 22.92

126.50(107.00–139.00)

0.471

0.074

Platelet count (× 10⁹/L)

132.00(89.00–178.00)

108.73 ± 69.88

119.50(79.25–167.25)

80.50(62.00–121.75)

89(65.00–142.00)

76.50(40.50–97.00)

0.196

 < 0.001

ALT (IU/L)

77.46 ± 61.98

79.35 ± 49.70

71.09 ± 53.81

68.50(45.50–86.75)

67.73 ± 50.66

45.85 ± 26.97

0.302

0.040

AST (IU/L)

70.39 ± 45.49

81.91 ± 39.22

67.32 ± 40.63

59.00(41.75–93.75)

68.84 ± 44.24

74.54 ± 48.12

0.556

0.809

GGT (IU/L)

57.43 ± 46.77

60.30 ± 45.08

58.50 ± 58.33

79.20 ± 91.58

105.69 ± 186.37

82.54 ± 85.93

0.807

0.001

Albumin (g/L)

43.00(39.70–45.10)

39.55(34.55–42.70)

42.55(39.30–44.58)

42.20(37.18–44.75)

40.10(36.10–43.50)

37.10(32.55–39.10)

0.880

 < 0.001

Bilirubin (µmol/L)

17.50(13.80–23.40)

27.09 ± 17.22

17.95(14.00–25.98)

20.70(14.25–27.18)

18.00(14.10–23.50)

26.85(16.25–40.95)

0.619

 < 0.001

Cr (µmol/L)

52.10(45.40–60.40)

54.10(47.95–63.98)

53.00(45.42–58.70)

62.41 ± 30.12

56.50(44.50–61.50)

57.00(37.00–72.00)

0.609

0.001

INR

1.05(0.99–1.14)

1.18 ± 0.21

1.05(0.99–1.14)

1.03(0.99–1.14)

1.10(1.01–1.22)

1.14(1.06–1.30)

0.523

 < 0.001

AFP (ng/mL)

12.32 ± 20.47

16.14 ± 17.15

13.40 ± 22.16

21.57 ± 46.30

17.66 ± 22.70

15.71 ± 12.88

0.608

0.001

CTP

5.34 ± 0.89

5.97 ± 1.43

5.41 ± 1.02

5.50 ± 1.27

5.46 ± 1.01

6.31 ± 1.84

0.083

0.203

LSM (kPa)

14.9(10.80–20.90)

26.55 ± 15.10

15.10(10.80–20.48)

22.00(13.65–40.75)

21.3(14.00–34.30)

33.65(23.08–66.95)

0.566

 < 0.001

Delta-LSM (kPa)

6.09 ± 8.07

8.83 ± 11.96

5.42 ± 7.25

9.75(1.43–15.15)

–

–

0.475

–

FIB-4 score

5.00 ± 4.38

7.52 ± 4.32

5.23 ± 4.47

6.69(3.30–9.70)

6.56 ± 5.43

11.00 ± 7.74

0.999

 < 0.001

Delta-FIB-4

1.50 ± 3.24

3.16 ± 3.54

1.60 ± 2.65

1.94(0.61–3.85)

–

–

0.212

–