Table I.
Clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients.
| Variables | Propolis (n=41) | Placebo (n=39) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 63.7±9.3 | 62.9±7.8 | 0.69 |
| Gender, male/female | 27/14 | 19/20 | 0.12 |
| Body weight, kg | 62.8±15.0 | 65.1±9.9 | 0.43 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 25.0±4.8 | 25.0±3.5 | 0.98 |
| Duration of diabetes, years | 13.7±10.3 | 9.8±6.2 | <0.05 |
| Retinopathy, NDR/SDR/PDR | 31/5/5 | 30/3/6 | 0.76 |
| Nephropathy, normo/micro/macroalbuminuria | 29/9/3 | 29/8/2 | 0.95 |
| Neuropathy, –/+ | 26/15 | 25/14 | 0.95 |
| Hypertension, –/+ | 18/23 | 11/28 | 0.14 |
| Hyperlipidemia, –/+ | 22/19 | 18/21 | 0.50 |
| Sulfonylurea, –/+ | 17/24 | 20/19 | 0.38 |
| Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, –/+ | 21/20 | 20/19 | 1.00 |
| Glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist, –/+ | 37/4 | 35/4 | 0.94 |
| Pioglitazone, –/+ | 37/4 | 35/4 | 0.94 |
| Biguanide, –/+ | 19/22 | 20/19 | 0.75 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mmHg | 124.8±15.5 | 125.4±14.6 | 0.88 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg | 71.0±12.9 | 71.1±10.9 | 0.97 |
| Fasting plasma glucose, mg/dl | 133.8±25.3 | 138.8±33.6 | 0.46 |
| Hemoglobin A1c, % | 7.09±0.79 | 7.21±0.85 | 0.52 |
| Insulin, μIU/ml | 6.94±3.75 | 7.74±3.42 | 0.32 |
| HOMA-IR | 2.34±1.36 | 2.64±1.39 | 0.33 |
| AST, IU/l | 24.4±10.3 | 24.1±7.5 | 0.88 |
| ALT, IU/l | 23.8±17.1 | 26.7±12.0 | 0.39 |
| Uric acid, mg/dl | 5.51±1.23 | 5.23±1.30 | 0.33 |
| Serum Cr, mg/dl | 0.73±0.26 | 0.75±0.22 | 0.69 |
| eGFR, ml/min/1.73 m2 | 75.5±21.7 | 74.9±17.3 | 0.90 |
| Total cholesterol, mg/dl | 180.4±29.4 | 181.6±34.9 | 0.87 |
| HDL cholesterol, mg/dl | 59.7±15.2 | 54.5±16.4 | 0.14 |
| LDL cholesterol, mg/dl | 108.5±24.2 | 114.6±29.1 | 0.30 |
| Log Triglycerides, mg/dl | 4.70±0.53 | 4.78±0.36 | 0.44 |
| RLP cholesterol, mg/dl | 4.79±2.90 | 4.77±2.49 | 0.97 |
| TNF-α, ng/ml | 1.4 (1.2–1.9) | 1.4 (1.2–1.7) | 0.32 |
| IL-6, pg/ml | 2.0 (1.3–2.8) | 1.4 (1.0–2.3) | 0.69 |
| Log hsCRP, mg/l | 6.38±1.28 | 6.52±1.12 | 0.60 |
| Urine, pH | 6.00±0.63 | 5.95±0.57 | 0.69 |
| Log UAE, mg/g Cr | 3.07±1.54 | 2.67±1.43 | 0.24 |
Data are shown as the mean ± standard deviation, median (interquartile range) or number of patients. BMI, body mass index; NDR, no diabetic retinopathy; SDR, simple diabetic retinopathy; PDR, proliferative diabetic retinopathy; HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; Cr, creatinine; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; RLP, remnant-like particle; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-α; IL-6, interleukin-6; hsCRP, high sensitivity C-reactive protein; UAE, urinary albumin excretion.