Statistical analysis:
Data were summarised as median (IQR) or n (%) for summary statistics of
the study participants. One-way Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA was used to
determine the difference in miR-122 and K18 between the different
patient groups. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test was used to
determine the difference in miR-122 and K18 upon starting treatment. The
coefficient of variation was calculated across 3 or more samples to
assess the intra-individual variability of ALT and K18 in the HIV-TB
coinfected population. Correlation of the biomarkers was determined
using Spearman’s rank correlation. The difference between miR-122 or K18
in samples grouped by ALT was determined using a Mann-Whitney t-test. A
receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was undertaken on all
patient samples grouped by normal ALT (≤50 IU/L) and elevated ALT
(>50 IU/L). Statistical analyses were performed using
Graphpad Prism (GraphPad Software, La Jolla, California).