Table 3.
Plasma arginine and plasma methylated arginine
| Arginine type | Fs, n = 72 | FOCs, n = 67 | P value | FOCA+, n = 28 | FOCA-, n = 39 | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arginine (μM) | 77.4 ± 15.5 | 55.7 ± 13.9 | < 0.001 | 55.97 ± 13.86 | 55.52 ± 14.04 | NS |
| Asymmetric dimethylarginine (μM) | 0.5 (0.3 to 0.8) | 0.4 (0.3 to 0.7) | < 0.001 | 0.44 ± 0.13 | 0.41 ± 0.11 | NS |
| Symmetric dimethylarginine (μM) | 0.4 (0.2 to 0.7) | 0.4 (0.2 to 0.6) | NS | 0.43 ± 0.09 | 0.40 ± 0.10 | NS |
| Asymmetric dimethylarginine/asymmetric dimethylarginine | 1.2 (0.7 to 1.9) | 1.0 (0.6 to 2.4) | < 0.001 | 1.0 (0.6 to 2.0) | 0.9 (0.6 to 2.4) | NS |
| Asymmetric dimethylarginine/arginine | 0.006 (0.004 to 0.01) | 0.007 (0.004 to 0.01) | 0.026 | 0.008 (0.004 to 0.01) | 0.007 (0.004 to 0.01) | NS |
Data are expressed as the mean ± SD or as medians and ranges; n indicates the number of samples used to calculate the statistics.
FOCA+/FOCA- = FOCs further stratified as a function of androgenic (FOCA+) and non-androgenic (FOCA-) properties of progestins; FOCs = women treated with OCs for at least 3 months; Fs = women who had not used OCs for at least 3 months to ensure a sufficient washout period; NS = not significant; OC = oral contraceptive.