Trimethylamine N-oxide, a gut microbiota-dependent metabolite of choline, is positively associated with the risk of primary liver cancer: a case-control study

Table 2 Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of PLC according to quartiles of serum TMAO and choline levels among controls

	Level (μmol/L)	n (Cases/Controls)	OR1 (95% CI) ^a	OR2 (95% CI) ^b
Serum TMAO
Q1	≤0.87	66/168	1.00	1.00
Q2	0.87–1.61	167/168	2.53 (1.77–3.61)	2.41 (1.32–4.40)
Q3	1.61–2.92	213/168	3.23 (2.28–4.58)	2.91 (1.62–5.23)
Q4	≥2.92	225/167	3.43 (2.42–4.86)	2.85 (1.59–5.11)
P_-trend			< 0.001	0.003
Serum choline
Q1	≤13.27	425/167	1.00	1.00
Q2	13.27–16.95	134/168	0.29 (0.22–0.39)	0.35 (0.21–0.57)
Q3	16.95–21.03	68/168	0.15 (0.11–0.21)	0.22 (0.12–0.38)
Q4	≥21.03	44/168	0.09 (0.06–0.14)	0.15 (0.08–0.28)
P_-trend			< 0.001	< 0.001

^aAdjusted for age and sex
^bFurther adjusted for BMI, household income, occupation, marital status, smoking status, alcohol use, presence of metabolic syndrome, and HBV infection status

ISSN: 1743-7075