Variable | Included studies | Test of association | Test of heterogeneity | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SMD | 95%CI | P-value* | Modal | P-value | I2 | ||
HCC vs Healthy controls | |||||||
 Overall | 1.57 | 0.37, 2.76 | 0.010 | RE | 0.000 | 99.0% | |
 HCC(unreported reason) vs Healthy controls | 1.88 | −0.31, 4.08 | 0.092 | RE | 0.000 | 99.5% | |
 Viral HCC vs Healthy controls | 1.11 | 0.44, 1.78 | 0.001 | RE | 0.000 | 90.8% | |
HCC vs Cirrhosis | |||||||
 Overall | −0.51 | −1.30, 0.29 | 0.213 | RE | 0.000 | 93.9% | |
 Viral cirrhotic HCC vs Viral cirrhosis | −0.37 | −1.80, 1.05 | 0.607 | RE | 0.000 | 95.9% | |
 HCV-related HCC vs HCV-related cirrhosis | −1.22 | −1.54, −0.90 | 0.000 | FE | 0.531 | 0.0% | |
HCC vs Chronic hepatitis | |||||||
 Overall | 0.10 | −0.80, 1.00 | 0.826 | RE | 0.000 | 98.4% | |
 HCC(unreported causes) vs Chronic hepatitis C | − 0.48 | −5.71, 4.75 | 0.857 | RE | 0.000 | 99.6% | |
 HCV-related HCC vs Chronic hepatitis C | 0.08 | −0.22,0.38 | 0.599 | RE | 0.068 | 70.0% | |
 Viral HCC vs Chronic viral hepatitis | 0.35 | −0.08, 0.78 | 0.108 | RE | 0.000 | 91.8% | |
Ethnicity | |||||||
 Asian | 0.31 | 0.02, 0.61 | 0.036 | RE | 0.000 | 88.3% | |
 Caucasian | 0.73 | 0.11, 1.35 | 0.022 | RE | 0.000 | 90.3% | |
 African | −0.32 | −2.93, 2.29 | 0.811 | RE | 0.000 | 99.5% | |
Sample size | |||||||
 < 200 | 0.76 | 0.03, 1.50 | 0.042 | RE | 0.000 | 98.5% | |
 ≥ 200 | −0.40 | −1.34, 0.54 | 0.403 | RE | 0.000 | 97.1% | |
Mean age | |||||||
 < 60 | 0.10 | −0.85, 1.05 | 0.833 | RE | 0.000 | 98.8% | |
 ≥ 60 | 0.13 | −0.14, 0.39 | 0.362 | RE | 0.037 | 69.7% | |
Study design | |||||||
 Nested Case-control | 0.25 | 0.14, 0.36 | 0.000 | EE | 0.585 | 0.0% | |
 Case-control | 0.84 | −0.74, 2.12 | 0.298 | RE | 0.000 | 99.2% | |
 Cross-sectional | −1.10 | −3.46, 1.26 | 0.361 | RE | 0.000 | 99.0% | |
Sample source | |||||||
 Serum | 0.23 | −0.51, 0.97 | 0.540 | RE | 0.000 | 98.5% | |
 Plasma | 0.23 | 0.08, 0.38 | 0.003 | FE | 0.795 | 0.0% | |
Assay method | |||||||
 ELISA | −0.03 | −0.45, 0.40 | 0.901 | RE | 0.000 | 95.7% | |
 Non-ELISA | 1.75 | −0.75, 4.26 | 0.170 | RE | 0.000 | 99.4% | |
Alanine aminotransferase | |||||||
 < 70 U/L | 0.00 | −0.53, 0.53 | 0.992 | RE | 0.000 | 94.8% | |
 ≥ 70 U/L | 0.08 | −2.96, 3.12 | 0.958 | RE | 0.000 | 99.5% | |
Albumin | |||||||
 < 3.5 g/dl | 0.62 | −1.98, 3.22 | 0.639 | RE | 0.000 | 98.5% | |
 ≥ 3.5 g/dl | 0.24 | 0.09,0.40 | 0.002 | RE | 0.000 | 99.4% |