Table 3.
Inter-patient heterogeneity of apoptotic and DNA repair responses in relation to clinical covariates
| Clinical parameters | %FLICA | p-value | %FLICACD4+ | p-value | %FLICACD8+ | p-value | ɣH2AX foci 1 Gy 0.5 h | p-value | ɣH2AX foci 4 Gy 24 h | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 0.3 | 0.008 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |||||
| ≤ 55 y | 41.0 (34.40, 45.35) | 29.2 (24.95, 38.40) | 39.2 (31.15, 51.40) | 11.7 (11.09, 13.18) | 6.2 (5.17, 7.09) | |||||
| > 55 y | 38.6 (31.23, 44.10) | 24.8 (18.80, 33.00) | 35.8 (26.70, 47.30) | 11.8 (11.08, 12.70) | 6.2 (5.45, 7.08) | |||||
| Gender | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | |||||
| Male | 40.5 (31.88, 45.93) | 27.9 (21.38, 34.95) | 37.9 (30.93, 49.30) | 11.7 (11.13, 12.79) | 6.2 (5.46, 7.08) | |||||
| Female | 36.1 (33.70, 42.45) | 28.0 (18.90, 34.70) | 33.9 (26.80, 44.80) | 11.8 (11.02, 13.03) | 6.1 (4.58, 7.08) | |||||
| T-Category | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | |||||
| T0–2 | 41.6 (33.70, 46.90) | 29.0 (21.30, 37.10) | 38.4 (30.00, 49.70) | 11.8 (10.65, 12.39) | 6.1 (5.28, 7.19) | |||||
| T3–4 | 35.9 (31.07, 42.45) | 26.8 (20.30, 33.05) | 36.5 (30.50, 48.65) | 11.7 (11.17, 13.26) | 6.2 (5.21, 7.06) | |||||
| N-Category | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.6 | |||||
| N0–1 | 38.9 (31.07, 49.45) | 25.6 (19.75, 33.00) | 38.4 (26.70, 47.30) | 11.4 (10.87, 11.80) | 5.7 (5.18, 7.33) | |||||
| N2–3 | 39.9 (33.55, 44.85) | 28.0 (21.30, 35.40) | 36.8 (30.70, 49.70) | 11.8 (11.09, 13.03) | 6.2 (5.27, 7.08) | |||||
| TNM stage | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.3 | |||||
| III | 39.9 (33.47, 44.85) | 28.0 (21.00, 34.70) | 36.8 (30.70, 47.10) | 11.8 (11.02, 12.89) | 6.1 (5.21, 7.00) | |||||
| IVA/B | 39.3 (32.75, 46.63) | 28.0 (21.27, 35.30) | 36.8 (29.13, 51.00) | 11.7 (11.13, 12.95) | 6.5 (5.55, 7.47) | |||||
| cfEBV DNA copy number status | 1.0^ | 0.3^ | 0.7^ | 0.5^ | 0.2^ | |||||
| Positive | 38.8 (31.88, 45.15) | 27.7 (21.32, 35.30) | 39.4 (29.90, 49.55) | 11.7 (11.10, 12.69) | 6.2 (5.51, 7.23) | |||||
| Negative | 38.9 (31.07, 46.90) | 31.7 (22.20, 39.90) | 35.9 (26.70, 47.30) | 11.6 (10.87, 13.18) | 5.9 (4.89, 6.26) | |||||
| Not tested | 40.4 (34.30, 43.25) | 25.9 (18.80, 33.15) | 36.2 (30.70, 50.45) | 11.8 (11.17, 13.03) | 6.7 (5.18, 7.09) | |||||
| Treatment assigned | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | |||||
| Induction GCP + CRT | 40.1 (31.67, 44.98) | 26.4 (19.20, 33.92) | 36.8 (29.90, 50.58) | 11.8 (11.09, 12.95) | 6.2 (5.36, 6.88) | |||||
| CRT only | 38.6 (33.70, 44.95) | 29.0 (21.40, 35.40) | 36.9 (30.50, 48.65) | 11.7 (11.08, 12.70) | 6.1 (5.21, 7.46) | |||||
| Sub-group analysis (n = 17) | ||||||||||
| Severe late xerostomiaa | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.08 | 0.05 | |||||
| Control (n = 8) | 34.8 (30.70, 38.97) | 23.9 (20.63, 33.30) | 35.6 (20.97, 45.55) | 12.0 (10.79, 13.09) | 6.2 (5.50, 7.32) | |||||
| Case (n = 9) | 40.4 (33.47, 43.25) | 26.3 (25.35, 33.15) | 36.8 (34.90, 50.20) | 11.1 (10.24, 11.35) | 7.7 (6.57, 8.02) | |||||
Reported values are median with corresponding interquartile range (25th percentile, 75th percentile)
P-value calculated using Mann-Whitney U test. Highlighted in bold are values with significant p-values (p≤0.05)
^P-value calculated excluding the category: Not Tested
aSub-group analysis based on a “Best case–control” design (See Additional file 1: Supplementary methods)
Abbreviations: EBV Epstein-barr virus, GCP gemcitabine, carboplatin, paclitaxel, CRT chemo-radiotherapy