Serum choline is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma survival: a prospective cohort study

Table 2 Survival outcomes by sex-specific tertiles of serum choline and betaine levels

	T1	T2	T3	P_-trend
Liver cancer-specific survival
Serum choline
Deaths / Total cases	87 / 290	84 / 289	99 / 287
Person-days at risk	122,905	143,328	202,856
Model 1-adjusted HR (95% CI) ^a	1.00	0.83 (0.61–1.13)	0.73 (0.55–0.99)	0.04
Model 2-adjusted HR (95% CI) ^b	1.00	0.84 (0.62–1.15)	0.69 (0.51–0.94)	0.02
Serum betaine
Deaths / Total cases	90 / 288	94 / 290	86 / 288
Person-days at risk	149,722	156,715	162,652
Model 1-adjusted HR (95% CI) ^a	1.00	0.94 (0.70–1.26)	0.85 (0.63–1.15)	0.29
Model 2-adjusted HR (95% CI) ^b	1.00	0.97 (0.72–1.31)	0.84 (0.62–1.13)	0.25
Overall survival
Serum choline
Deaths / Total cases	90 / 290	91 / 289	110 / 287
Person-days at risk	122,905	143,328	202,856
Model 1-adjusted HR (95% CI) ^a	1.00	0.85 (0.63–1.14)	0.78 (0.58–1.05)	0.11
Model 2-adjusted HR (95% CI) ^b	1.00	0.85 (0.62–1.15)	0.73 (0.54–0.99)	0.04
Serum betaine
Deaths / Total cases	97 / 288	99 / 290	95 / 288
Person-days at risk	149,722	156,715	162,652
Model 1-adjusted HR (95% CI) ^a	1.00	0.93 (0.70–1.24)	0.88 (0.66–1.17)	0.39
Model 2-adjusted HR (95% CI) ^b	1.00	0.95 (0.72–1.27)	0.84 (0.63–1.13)	0.25

^a Covariates adjusted in Model 1: age, sex, BMI, education level, smoking status
^b Covariates adjusted in Model 2: covariates adjusted in Model 1, additionally adjusted for baseline liver damage level, BCLC stage, treatment, AFP level and CRP level