Table 2.
Median cytokine levels among participants treated with high-dose and usual-dose ESA and unadjusted and adjusted odds of cytokine being above the median
| Variable | High-dose ESA (≥1 mcg/kg/wk of darbepoetin-α) (n = 11) |
Usual-Dose ESA (< 1 mcg/kg/wk of darbepoetin-α) (n = 21) |
Unadjusted Odds Ratio, * (5-95% CI) p-value |
Adjusted Odds Ratio**, (5-95% CI) p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-reactive protein (mg/l) | 7.7 (4.8, 9.7) | 2.4 (1.1, 9.2) | 9.0 (1.5-53.4) p = 0.01 |
16.0 (1.5-174.5) p = 0.02 |
| Interferon-γ (pg/mL) | 12.4 (4.4, 18.3) | 8.5 (3.8, 11.2) | 4.3 (0.88-21.3) p = 0.06 |
4.5 (0.5-37.2) p = 0.2 |
| Tumor necrosis factor-α (pg/mL) | 68.7 (10.3, 202.4) | 41.2 (15.8, 65.6) | 1.32 (0.31-5.7) p = 0.7 |
1.7 (0.2-14.4) p = 0.6 |
| Interleukin-1β (pg/mL) | 1.0 (0.2, 2.0) | 0.6 (0.3, 1.6) | 1.32 (0.31-5.7) p = 0.7 |
1.3 (0.1-11.4) p = 0.8 |
| Interleukin-2 (pg/mL) | 18.2 (6.3, 33.1) | 9.2 (4.5, 22.2) | 4.3 (0.88-21.3) p = 0.06 |
2.4 (0.3-18.8) p = 0.4 |
| Interleukin-6 (pg/mL) | 21.3 (17.3, 26.3) | 16.2 (13.5, 21.9) | 4.3 (0.88-21.3) p = 0.06 |
12.3 (1.1-143.2) p = 0.04 |
| Interleukin-8 (pg/mL) | 63.5 (33.9, 63.5) | 44.5 (34.3, 65.0) | 1.32 (0.31-5.7) p = 0.7 |
1.1 (0.2-8.3), p = 0.9 |
| Interleukin-10 (pg/mL) | 4.2 (1.3, 7.6) | 1.5 (1.0, 3.3) | 4.3 (0.88-21.3) p = 0.06 |
4.3 (0.5-35.0) p = 0.2 |
| IL-12p40 (pg/mL) | 32.8 (15.9, 37.0) | 22.8 (16.1, 32.2) | 2.3 (0.52-10.5) p = 0.45 |
3.1 (0.4-23.2) p = 0.3 |
| IL-12p70 (pg/mL) | 4.4 (1.1, 8.1) | 2.7 (1.6, 4.0) | 4.3 (0.88-21.3) p = 0.06 |
5.6 (0.7-47.2) p = 0.1 |
Median and 25th to 75th interquartile range
*Odds ratio of cytokine being above the median among those in high vs usual dose ESA,
**Adjusted for gender, hemoglobin and ferritin