Table 1.
Laboratory data of controls and patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) before and after antibiotic treatment a, b
| Clinical variable | Controls (n = 54) |
CAP patients (n = 93) | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before treatment | After treatment | UT/C c | UT/T d | ||
| Age (years) | 59.57 ± 11.05 | 63.15 ± 20.98 | 0.247 | ||
| Gender | |||||
| Male | 36 (66.7%) | 56 (60.2%) | 0.436 | ||
| Female | 18 (33.3%) | 37 (39.8%) | |||
| CRP (mg/dl) | 0.46 ± 0.27 | 11.26 ± 7.30 | 4.61 ± 4.65 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| WBCs (cells/mm3) | 6280.7 ± 1814.5 | 12,505.4 ± 5533.9 | 8752.0 ± 3673.2 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Neutrophils (cells/mm3) | 3670.9 ± 1341.7 | 9904.1 ± 5010.1 | 6265.3 ± 3402.2 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| PSI score | 82.97 ± 37.17 | ||||
| CURB-65 score | 1.09 ± 0.93 | ||||
| APACHE II score | 9.94 ± 5.31 | ||||
| Hospital length of stay (days) | 11.71 ±17.49 | ||||
CRP, C-reactive protein; WBCs, white blood cells; C, controls; UT, CAP patients before they received antibiotic treatment; T, CAP patients after they received antibiotic treatment; PSI, Pneumonia Severity Index; CURB-65, confusion, urea of > 7 mmol/l, respiratory rate of > 30/min, low systolic (< 90 mmHg) or diastolic (< 60 mmHg) blood pressure, and aged ≥ 65 years; APACHE, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation.
a p < 0.05 was considered significant.
b Data were presented as the mean ± SD and n (%).
c The statistical difference was analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U-test.
d The statistical difference was analyzed by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Figure 1 shows plasma OPN levels in control subjects and CAP patients before and after antibiotic treatment. CAP patients presented with significantly higher OPN plasma levels compared to control subjects (controls: 9.16 ± 5.61 ng/mL; patients: 24.32 ± 14.08 ng/mL; p < 0.001; Figure 1). After CAP patients received antibiotic treatment, OPN levels significantly dropped (untreated: 24.32 ± 14.08 ng/mL; treated: 16.50 ± 12.01 ng/mL; p < 0.001; Figure 1).