Table 1.
Comparison of baseline characteristics and laboratory findings among three groups
| Variables | Group 1 (n = 83)† | Group 2 (n = 84)† | Healthy Control (n = 60) | P-value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) (mean ± SD), | 63.7 ± 11.4 | 67.0 ± 11.1 | 64.1 ± 6.0 | 0.078 |
| Male, % (n) | 65.1% (54) | 66.7% (56) | 65.0% (39) | 0.969 |
| Hypertension, % (n) | 63.9% (53) | 73.8% (62) | -- | 0.165 |
| Diabetes mellitus, % (n) | 37.4% (31) | 32.1% (27) | -- | 0.480 |
| Current smoking, % (n) | 36.1% (30) | 273.4% (23) | -- | 0.224 |
| Previous stroke by history, % (n) | 24.1% (20) | 21.4% (18) | -- | 0.681 |
| Previous stroke by MRI, % (n) | 62.7% (52) | 57.1% (48) | -- | 0.468 |
| Old myocardial infarction, % (n) | 8.4% (7) | 6.0% (5) | -- | 0.549 |
| RBC count (×106/μL) | 4.74 ± 0.67 | 4.68 ± 0.68 | 4.81 ± 0.64 | 0.561 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 14.0 ± 2.0 | 14.1 ± 1.8 | 14.05 ± 1.56 | 0.963 |
| Hematocrit (%) | 41.3 ± 5.9 | 41.4 ± 6.0 | 40.9 ± 6.1 | 0.877 |
| WBC count (×103/μL) | 7.82 ± 2.38a | 7.83 ± 2.37a | 5.91 ± 1.84b | <0.0001 |
| Circulating level of EPCs at 48 h | ||||
| CD31/CD34 (%) | 1.65 ± 0.91a | 1.75 ± 1.03a | 1.13 ± 0.74b | 0.0003 |
| CD62E/CD34 (%) | 1.21 ± 0.86a | 1.16 ± 0.76a | 0.93 ± 0.83b | 0.025 |
| KDR/CD34 (%) | 1.34 ± 0.77a | 1.37 ± 0.89a | 1.03 ± 0.79b | 0.03 |
| Total cholesterol level (mg/dL) | 186.6 ± 41.2 | 190.1 ± 42.7 | 193.2 ± 36.4 | 0.621 |
| HDL (mg/dL) | 44.6 ± 10.8a | 49.2 ± 17.3a | 53.8 ± 14.8b | 0.001 |
| LDL (mg/dL) | 116.2 ± 35.7 | 115.2 ± 39.4 | 117.2 ± 30.9 | 0.949 |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.00 ± 0.38 | 1.02 ± 0.43 | 1.01 ± 0.24 | 0.915 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 25.1 ± 3.5 | 24.2 ± 3.9 | 24.7 ± 3.1 | 0.225 |
| HbA1C level, % | 6.73 ± 1.85 | 6.96 ± 1.88 | -- | 0.468 |
| SBP (mm Hg) | 144 ± 20a | 143 ± 21a | 136 ± 18b | 0.031 |
| DBP (mm Hg) | 83 ± 12 | 84 ± 11 | 85 ± 11 | 0.231 |
| Significant ECCA stenosis, % (n) | 24.1% (20) | 17.9%% (15) | -- | 0.322 |
| Statin therapy | 43.4% (36) | 45.2% (38) | -- | 0.808 |
| ACEI/ARB therapy | 39.8% (33) | 38.1% (32) | -- | 0.826 |
| EPO therapy-related adverse events | ||||
| Allergy | 0% (0) | 0% (0) | -- | |
| Polycythemia | 0% (0) | 0% (0) | -- | |
| Thrombosis event | 0% (0) | 0% (0) | -- |
*: by Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for categorical data; by t-test or one-way ANOVA for continuous data.
Letters (a, b) indicate significant difference (at 0.05 level) by Tukey multiple comparison procedure.
†: group 1, with EPO treatment; group 2, without EPO treatment.
Data are expressed as mean ± SD or % (No.) of patients.
ACEI/ARB, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II type I receptor blocker; BMI, body mass index; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; ECCA, extra-cranial carotid artery; EPC, endothelial progenitor cell; EPO, erythropoietin; HbA1C, hemoglobin A1C; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; SBP, systolic blood pressure; RBC, red blood cell; WBC, white blood cell.