Table 2.

Effects of 4 months omega-3 vs. placebo supplementation on hematological and inflammatory parameters

	Placebo (n = 20)				Omega-3 (n = 25)
	Baseline	Month-4	Diff	P	Baseline	Month-4	Diff	P	P overall
Hgb (g/dL)
Mean ± SD	11.14 ± 1.62	10.17 ± 1.62	-0.97 ± 2	0.055	11.14 ± 2.27	10.86 ± 1.30	-0.28 ± 2.21	0.567	0.316
Median (IQR)	10.90 (10.10, 12.30)	10.40 (9.02, 11.20)			11.10 (9.45, 12.15)	10.70 (10, 11.45)
Serum iron (μg/dL)
Mean ± SD	86.11 ± 37.52	87 ± 43.44	0.89 ± 49.23		117.45 ± 117.65	71.85 ± 48.05	-45.60 ± 115.34
Median (IQR)	80 (54.25, 109.50)	66 (53, 132.75)		0.647	66 (48.25, 113.25)	52.50 (45.50, 96)		0.296	0.781
TIBC (μg/dL)
Mean ± SD	281 ± 78.09	264 ± 95.29	-17 ± 125.98		318.81 ± 75.26	224.60 ± 52.23	-94.21 ± 77.28	0.000	0.025
Median (IQR)	252.50 (234.50, 297.50)	232 (200, 283.25)		0.446	310 (255, 383)	210 (182, 272)
TSAT%
Mean ± SD	33.36 ± 16.99	38.56 ± 26.20	5.20 ± 28.06		35.15 ± 29.12	32.77 ± 22.19	-2.37 ± 30.49
Median (IQR)	30.41 (19.70, 45.80)	29.19 (18.62, 53.28)		0.711	23.67 (14.08, 42.29)	25.68 (17.65, 42.26)		0.575	1.000
Ferritin (ng/mL)
Mean ± SD	345.91 ± 168.90	1236 ± 885.85	890.05 ± 862.71		839.63 ± 719.81	1005.10 ± 1185.70	165.45 ± 886.59
Median (IQR)	445.50 (187, 467.50)	1033 (750, 1767)		0.000	696.50 (213.25, 1225.80)	739.50 (126, 1267.50)		0.681	0.000
Hepcidin (pg/mL)
Mean ± SD	584.81 ± 654.45	557.25 ± 401.96	-27.56 ± 650.83		579.74 ± 340.81	729.48 ± 661.81	149.74 ± 574.87
Median (IQR)	358.50 (306.50, 546.50)	377 (334.50, 812.25)		0.756	392 (318, 983)	443 (335, 856)		0.048	0.145
IL-6 (ng/L)
Mean ± SD	103.54 ± 145.18	106.48 ± 136.51	2.94 ± 206.17		144.38 ± 167.66	136.85 ± 183.56	-7.53 ± 126.01
Median (IQR)	44.90 (40.22, 87.32)	52.85 (40.55, 98.62)		0.695	56.30 (46.90, 151.45)	50 (29.20, 123.50)		0.034	0.115
TNF-α (ng/L)
Mean ± SD	80.93 ± 64.89	77.43 ± 59.82	-3.50 ± 49.21		122.09 ± 171.69	116.57 ± 172.32	-5.52 ± 46.92
Median (IQR)	48.05 (42.42, 95.57)	48.05 (44.17, 99.22)		0.616	67 (44.30, 127.20)	58.60 (44.55, 112.80)		0.346	0.971
IL-10 (pg/mL)
Mean ± SD	111.76 ± 67.39	107.24 ± 63.01	-4.51 ± 90.79		123.94 ± 71.91	132.06 ± 94.81	8.11 ± 57.63
Median (IQR)	78.05 (72.80, 119.08)	83 (68.20, 128.30)		0.446	91.80 (71.80, 154.10)	87.70 (69.90, 149.60)		0.798	0.445
IL-10 / IL-6
Mean ± SD	1.57 ± 0.42	1.39 ± 0.35	-0.18 ± 0.53		1.32 ± 0.55	1.96 ± 1.19	0.64 ± 1.14
Median (IQR)	1.74 (1.56, 1.79)	1.48 (1.27, 1.66)		0.078	1.48 (0.97, 1.56)	1.59 (1.05, 2.77)		0.013	0.003
IL-10 / TNF-α
Mean ± SD	1.85 ± 1.19	1.69 ± 0.95	-0.16 ± 1.17		1.35 ± 0.29	1.44 ± 0.28	0.09 ± 0.25		0.399
Median (IQR)	1.62 (1.26, 2.07)	1.49 (0.91, 2.08)		0.349	1.39 (1.20, 1.58)	1.50 (1.27, 1.64)		0.139
CRP (mg/L)
Mean ± SD	7.73 ± 4.89	12.69 ± 14.02	4.96 ± 12.59		9.24 ± 8.79	8 ± 6.78	-1.24 ± 5.68
Median (IQR)	6.19 (4.79, 8.93)	6.26 (3.55, 18.81)		0.246	6.23 (4.87, 10.26)	5.91 (3.25, 10.72)		0.414	0.143
iPTH (pg/mL)
Mean ± SD	271.18 ± 233.60	654.57 ± 1082.30	383.39 ± 927.49		333.42 ± 567.22	348.07 ± 723	14.65 ± 235.88
Median (IQR)	180 (95, 507.50)	224 (110.40, 980.50)		0.006	118 (91.35, 316)	167 (97.15, 286)		0.455	0.17

Notes: Data are mean ± SD and median (IQR). P values for each group were derived from paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed ranks test between baseline versus month-4 comparison (within group comparison). Overall P values were derived using independent t-test or Mann–Whitney U test, comparing mean differences of parameters between omega-3 and placebo group (between group comparisons of mean differences) (bold faces).

Abbreviations and definitions: IQR, Interquartile range; IL, Interleukin; TNF-α, Tumor necrosis factor alpha; CRP, C-reactive protein; iPTH, Intact parathyroid hormone; Hgb, Hemoglobin; TSAT, Transferrin saturation; TIBC, Total iron binding capacity; Diff, Mean difference of month-4 minus baseline.