Table 1 Demographic and clinical baseline characteristics

Age (y), mean ± SD

39.9 ± 12.6

36.6 ± 6.3

38.3 ± 9.9

0.133

Male gender, n (%)

49 (57)

72 (81)

121 (69)

0.001

Marital status, n (%)

0.609

 Married

55 (64)

69 (78)

124 (71)

 Not married

13 (15)

20 (22)

33 (19)

 Unknown

18 (21)

0 (0)

18 (10)

Education status, n (%)

<0.001

  < HS education, n (%)

12 (14)

74 (83)

86 (49)

  > HS education

47 (55)

15 (17)

62 (35)

 Unknown

27 (31)

0 (0)

27 (15)

Employment status, n (%)

0.280

 Employed or student

47 (55)

56 (63)

103 (59)

 Unemployed

19 (22)

33 (37)

52 (30)

 Unknown

20 (23)

0 (0)

20 (11)

HCV risk factor, n (%)

<0.001

 IDU

3 (4)

72 (81)

75 (43)

 Blood transfusion

37 (43)

2 (2)

39 (22)

 Sexual

0 (0)

11 (12)

11 (6)

 Other^a

46 (54)

4 (5)

50 (29)

 Unknown

25 (29)

1 (1)

26 (15)

HCV genotype, n (%)

<0.001

 1a

3 (4)

1 (1)

4 (2)

0.362

 1b

57 (66)

15 (17)

72 (41)

<0.001

 2a

5 (6)

1 (1)

6 (3)

0.113

 3a

3 (3)

16 (18)

19 (11)

0.002

 3b

6 (7)

9 (10)

15 (9)

0.459

 6a

12 (14)

47 (53)

59 (34)

<0.001

AST, median (IQR)

38 (29–65)

54 (36–92)

43 (32–73)

0.004

ALT, median (IQR)

47.5 (32–90)

49 (33–81)

49 (32–85)

0.794

Platelet count (^10),

185 ± 69

179 ± 69

182 ± 69

0.644

 mean ± SD

APRI score^b, n (%)

0.012

 Class 1

43 (50)

26 (28)

68 (39)

 Class 2

26 (30)

40 (45)

66 (38)

 Class 3

17 (20)

24 (27)

41 (23)

FIB-4 score^c, n (%)

0.009

 Class 1

55 (64)

41 (46)

96 (55)

 Class 2

15 (17)

34 (38)

49 (28)

 Class 3

16 (19)

14 (16)

30 (17)