Table 1.
Characteristics of the subjects with history of cancer, at baseline.
| Variables | Controls (n=68) |
Cancer patients (n=68) |
P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| age (years) | 64.10±6.69 | 65.65±7.92 | N.S. |
| sex (% males) | 83.5 | 82.7 | N.S.* |
| smoking habit (% smokers) | 71.2 | 68.7 | N.S.* |
| hs-CRP (mg/L) | 3.51 (2.75–4.26) |
3.07 (1.30–4.83) |
N.S. |
| tHcy (µmol/L) | 16.08 (14.81–17.44) |
15.46 (13.56–17.64) |
N.S. |
| vitamin B12 (pmol/L) | 375.63 (337.98–417.46) |
414.80 (361.33–476.18) |
N.S. |
| folate (nmol/L) | 13.2 (11.9–14.72) |
9.86 (8.26–11.77) |
0.003 |
| % MTHFR677TT genotype carriers |
11.70 | 31.03 | 0.013* |
| DNA Methylation (% mCyt/mCyt + Cyt) |
5.13 (5.03–5.21) |
4.39 (4.25–4.53) |
<0.0001 |
Values are expressed as means ± SD for age. Plasma folate, hs-CRP, vitamin B12, tHcy and DNA methylation status are presented as geometric means (antilogaritms of transformed means) and 95% confidence intervals are reported in parentheses with two-tailed P values. Statistical difference was evaluated by Student’s t-test except when differently indicated.
*
Statistical difference was evaluated by χ2 test. N.S., not statistically significant.
tHcy: total plasma homocysteine; hs-CRP: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.