A comparison of all patients in our original cohort before propensity score matching revealed that there were no significant differences in gender, age, Ishak score, Edmonson grading, history of diabetes, CSPH, levels of total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total serum albumin and renal function impairment. This evidence concerns the gene ALB and diabetes mellitus.