Table 1 Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics in higher and lower SML groups

Sex (male)

49(79.0)

17(77.3)

32(80.0)

0.801

Age (year)

59.39 ± 10.6

57.3 ± 11.2

60.5 ± 10.2

0.258

BMI (kg/m²)

 Male

24.1 ± 3.4

24.8 ± 3.2

23.7 ± 3.5

0.291

 Female

22.5 ± 3.2

21.8 ± 1.7

23.0 ± 3.9

0.557

SMI (kg²/m²)

 Male

45.0 ± 6.9

48.0 ± 8.1

43.3 ± 5.6

0.021

 Female

39.0 ± 5.5

39.5 ± 8.4

38.6 ± 3.2

0.820

SML (%)

 Male

− 1.5 ± 3.2

− 4.9 ± 1.5

0.38 ± 2.1

 < 0.001

 Female

− 1.4 ± 3.2

− 4.9 ± 1.3

0.60 ± 1.8

0.002

Aetiology (HBV/HCV/others)

49(79.0)/3(4.8)/10(16.1)

19(86.4)/0/3(13.6)

30(75.0)/3(7.5)/7(17.5)

0.473

diabetes mellitus

16(25.8%)

8(36.4%)

8(20.0%)

0.226

BCLC (0/A/B)

6(9.7)/53(85.5)/3(4.8)

4(18.2)/16(72.7)/2(9.1)

2(5.0)/37(92.5)/1(2.5)

0.109

Tumor number (solitary/multiple)

54(87.1)/8(12.9)

19(86.4)/3(13.6)

35(87.5)/5(12.5)

0.898

Maximum tumor diameter (cm)

4.3 ± 2.1

3.9 ± 2.3

4.5 ± 1.9

0.278

Differentiation(well or moderate/poor)

54(87.1)/8(12.9)

18(81.8)/4(18.2)

36(90.0)/4(10.0)

0.438

Hepatectomy (major/minor)

49(79.0)/13(21.0)

18(81.8)/4(18.2)

31(77.5)/9(22.5)

0.756

MVI (presence/absence)

13(21.0)/49(79.0)

8(36.4)/14(63.6)

5(12.5)/35(87.5)

0.048

Cirrhosis (presence/absence)

36(58.1)/26(41.9)

18(81.8)/4(18.2)

18(45.0)/22(55.0)

0.005

TACE sessions (1/2/3)

5(8.1)/12(19.4)/45(72.6)

1(4.5)/8(36.4)/13(59.1)

4(10.0)/4(10.0)/32(80.0)

0.031

Child–Pugh class (A/B)

62(100.0)

22(100.0)/0

40(100.0)/0

-

MELD-Na score

7.0(6.0 ~ 9.0)

7.0(6.0 ~ 8.0)

7.0(6.0 ~ 9.0)

0.359

ALB (g/L)

40.0 ± 3.8

39.8 ± 4.2

39.7 ± 3.6

0.878

TBIL (umol/L)

15.5(11.9 ~ 22.6)

14.3(11.6 ~ 17.0)

16.8(13.1 ~ 24.7)

0.064

ALT (U/L)

23.0(17.0 ~ 31.3)

24.5(15.0 ~ 30.3)

22.0(18.0 ~ 39.3)

0.466

AST (U/L)

29.2(22.6 ~ 36.6)

26.5(21.0 ~ 32.5)

30.7(23.1 ~ 36.9)

0.406

PLT (10⁹/L)

159.4 ± 59.4

153.6 ± 62.8

162.3 ± 58.0

0.573

AFP (ng/ml)

20.7(2.7 ~ 305.9)

53.6(2.6 ~ 325.4)

15.0(2.8 ~ 297.9)

0.953

NLR

1.9 ± 1.0

2.3 ± 1.1

1.7 ± 0.9

0.026