Table 1.
Characteristics of the study population (n = 72) at baseline visit of the study (mean ± SEM)
| Parameter | L-Carnitine (n = 38) | Placebo (n = 34) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| gender |
male |
20 (52.6%) |
23 (67.6%) |
| female |
18 (47.4%) |
11 (32.4%) |
|
| mean age |
64.4 ± 1.67 |
64.4 ± 1.65 |
|
| Karnofsky performance status |
76.8 ± 1.87 |
80.0 ± 2.16 |
|
|
Nutritional Status | |||
| normal BMI (kg/m²) |
28.0 ± 1.01 |
30.1 ± 0.84 |
|
| baseline visit BMI (kg/m²) |
24.7 ± 0.65 |
24.9 ± 0.89 |
|
| Phase angle (°) |
4.4 ± 0.16 |
4.4 ± 0.17 |
|
| Weight loss* |
present |
34 (89.5%) |
31 (91.2%) |
| absent |
4 (10.5%) |
3 (8.8%) |
|
| meanweight loss (kg)* |
11.4 ± 1.28 |
12.3 ± 1.56 |
|
| Nutritional support |
none |
20 (52.6%) |
21 (61.8%) |
| oral |
14 (36.8%) |
9 (26.5%) |
|
| |
Parenteral nutrition |
4 (10.5%) |
4 (11.7%) |
| ECM/BCM index ** |
1.5 ± 0.11 |
1.4 ± 0 |
|
| Cell percentage (%) |
41.8 ± 1.22 |
42.70 ± 1.21 |
|
| chemotherapy (n) 35 (92%) 30 (88%) | |||
|
Laboratory values | |||
| L-Carnitine level (μmol/l) |
25.3 ± 2.29 |
24. 8 ± 2.11 |
|
| Albumine (g/l) |
33.8 ± 1.09 |
33.7 ± 1.20 |
|
| CRP (mg/l) |
31.3 ± 6.55 |
45.5 ± 10.39 |
|
| Leucocytes (Gpt/l) |
8.3 ± 0.83 |
6.9 ± 0.46 |
|
| CA 19–9 (U/ml) | 14,095 ± 32,572 | 18,345 ± 35,950 | |
No statistically significant differences were observed between L-Carnitine and placebo group.
*weight loss during the last 6 month.
**ECM/BCM-Index, Extra-Cellular-Mass/Body-Cell-Mass-Index.