Table 3. Mean differences between case and control sums of absolute values of correlation coefficients of 277 cytokines in 1000 bootstrap samples by time before diagnosis.

All study participants, n (cases/controls)	487/487
Mean difference between sums (95% CI1)	-488.292 (-2276.27, 1253.00)3
Time from blood collection to tumor diagnosis4
≤ 5 years before diagnosis, n	55/55
Mean difference between sums (95% CI)	3088.065 (-1823.47, 7907.50)
>10 years before diagnosis, n	347/347
Mean difference between sums (95% CI)	-1253.99 (-3436.83, 728.58)
>15 years before diagnosis, n	228/2306
Mean difference between sums (95% CI)	-1254.36 (-3963.36, 1391.64)
>20 years before diagnosis, n	126/126
Mean difference between sums (95% CI)	-1258.86 (-4589.04, 2001.73)

1 95% confidence interval

2 Negative differences mean that, on average, control correlations coefficients are larger than are those of cases.

3 If the 95% confidence interval includes zero then its corresponding P-value is not statistically significant (P < .05)

4 Controls were assigned the date of diagnosis of the case to which they were matched

5 Positive difference means that, on average, case correlation coefficients are larger than are those of controls.

6 Controls are matched to cases within three months of the time of blood collection. Therefore a matched pair may fall into separate time categories thus accounting for unequal numbers in this time category.