Table 2.
Clinical characteristics of patients with gastric cancer organized by preoperative serum zinc levels (n = 83)
| Variable | Serum zinc level | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| low level n = 55 | normal level n = 28 | ||
| Age, median (range), years | 75 (47–89) | 71 (43–87) | 0.142 |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 35 | 18 | 0.954 |
| Female | 20 | 10 | |
| Body mass index | 22.1 (10.9–33.3) | 22.3 (14.9–28.4) | 0.957 |
| Peak expiratory flow rate, L/sec | 5.2 (1.4–9.5) | 5.6 (3.7–9.0) | 0.367 |
| Time interval between zinc examination and surgery, median (range), days | 24 (3–62) | 20 (8–64) | 0.471 |
| Disease stage | |||
| I | 27 | 16 | 0.932 |
| II | 17 | 6 | |
| III | 8 | 5 | |
| IV | 3 | 1 | |
| Length of hospital stay, days | 16 (11–158) | 15 (8–158) | 0.552 |
| Zinc level, μg/dL | 68 (20–79) | 89 (82–152) | <0.001 |
| Neutrophil count, mm3 | 3,790 (1,450–8,030) | 3,870 (1,780–9,380) | 0.864 |
| Lymphocyte count, mm3 | 1,500 (280–3,150) | 1,810 (820–2,700) | 0.041 |
| Albumin, g/dL | 3.9 (1.4–4.6) | 4.4 (2.7–5.2) | <0.001 |
| C-reactive protein, mg/dL | 0.14 (0.02–28.9) | 0.08 (0.01–3.14) | 0.152 |
| Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio | 2.67 (0.73–28.68) | 1.97 (0.91–7.50) | 0.198 |