Table 3.
Patient characteristics compared by carnitine status
| Characteristic | Normal carnitine, N = 114 (80.28 %) |
Decreased carnitine, N = 28 (19.72%) |
p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Categorical, no. (%) | |||
| Sex | 0.27 | ||
| Male | 70 (61.40) | 14 (50.0) | |
| Female | 44 (38.60) | 14 (50.00) | |
| Race/ethnicity | 0.86 | ||
| Caucasian | 68 (59.65) | 19 (67.86) | |
| African-American | 13 (11.40) | 4 (14.29) | |
| Hispanic/Latino | 26 (22.81) | 5 (17.86) | |
| Asian | 5 (4.39) | 0 (0.00) | |
| Other | 2 (1.75) | 0 (0.00) | |
| Diagnosis | 0.64 | ||
| Leukemia/lymphoblastic Lymphoma | 54 (47.37) | 14 (50.00) | |
| CNS tumors | 32 (28.07) | 10 (35.71) | |
| Other lymphoma | 15 (13.16) | 2 (7.14) | |
| Solid tumors | 6 (5.26) | 2 (7.14) | |
| LCH | 7 (6.14) | 0 (0.00) | |
| Treatment received | 0.04* | ||
| Chemotherapy only | 59 (51.75) | 13 (46.43) | |
| Chemo + RT | 26 (22.81) | 2 (7.14) | |
| Chemo + RT + surgery | 12 (10.53) | 9 (32.14) | |
| Chemo + surgery | 8 (7.02) | 1 (3.57) | |
| Chemo + RT + SCT | 6 (5.26) | 3 (10.71) | |
| Chemo + RT + SCT + surgery | 3 (2.63) | 0 (0.00) | |
| Chemotherapy in past month | 57 (50.00) | 17 (60.70) | 0.31 |
| Documented comorbid conditions | 34 (29.82) | 13 (46.43) | 0.09 |
| Hospitalized in past 6 months | 34 (29.82) | 10 (35.71) | 0.55 |
| Significant infections in past 6 months | 11 (9.65) | 6 (21.43) | 0.10 |
| Home medications other than chemotheraphy | 82 (71.90) | 22 (78.60) | 0.48 |
| Class of chemotherapy agents received | |||
| Alkylator | 87 (76.99) | 23 (82.14) | 0.56 |
| Anthracylines | 70 (61.40) | 17 (60.71) | 0.95 |
| Antibiotics | 12 (10.62) | 2 (7.14) | 0.74 |
| Antimetabolites | 63 (55.26) | 15 (53.57) | 0.87 |
| Asparaginase | 48 (42.11) | 11(39.29) | 0.79 |
| Corticosteroids | 69 (60.53) | 13 (46.43) | 0.18 |
| Methotrexate | 51 (44.74) | 11 (39.29) | 0.60 |
| Platinum | 24 (21.05) | 10 (35.71) | 0.10 |
| Topoisomerase inhibitors | 30 (26.32) | 12 (42.86) | 0.09 |
| Vinca alkaloids | 95 (83.33) | 22 (78.57) | 0.58 |
| Other | 13 (11.50) | 4 (14.29) | 0.75 |
| Intrathecal agents | 45 (44.55) | 17 (41.46) | 0.74 |
| Continuous, mean (SD) | |||
| Age at time of study | 12.39 (3.27) | 13.68 (2.84) | 0.04* |
| Treatment duration (days) | 452.09 (374.26) | 477.43 (370.32) | 0.75 |
| Time since last chemotheraphy (days) | 328.48 (479.09) | 169.29 (264.82) | 0.02* |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 21.98 (5.95) | 19.13 (4.82) | 0.01* |
| Performance score | 95.86 (7.07) | 95.20 (7.14) | 0.68 |
| Hemoglobin level | 12.46 (2.14) | 12.46 (1.88) | 1.00 |
| Albumin level | 2.69 (2.02) | 3.13 (1.77) | 0.26 |
*
p < 0.05
CNS central nervous system, LCH Langerhan’s cell histiocytosis, RT radiation therapy, SCT stem cell transplant