Table I.
Characteristics of paediatric patients with idiopathic headache and controls
| Parameter | Paediatric patients with idiopathic headache (n = 39) | Controls (n = 26) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex, n (%): | |||
| Girls | 26 (66.67) | 13 (50.00) | 0.205 |
| Boys | 13 (33.33) | 13 (50.00) | |
| Age, mean ± SD [years] | 12.08 ±4.34 | 10.98 ±2.90 | 0.255 |
| BMI z-score, mean ± SD | 0.2 ±1.11 | –1.14 ±1.45 | 0.006 |
| Total cholesterol, mean ± SD [mg/dl] | 121.04 ±41.62 | 146.87 ±48.85 | 0.026 |
| HDL-cholesterol, mean ± SD [mg/dl] | 71.32 ±38.08 | 75.90 ±34.19 | 0.653 |
| LDL-cholesterol, mean ± SD [mg/dl] | 95.27 ±35.15 | 110.87 ±42.48 | 0.124 |
| Triacylglycerols, mean ± SD [mg/dl] | 68.97 ±38.39 | 69.66 ±30.85 | 0.939 |
| TG/HDL-C, mean ± SD | 2.36 ±3.91 | 0.71 ±0.38 | 0.02 |
| LDL-C/HDL-C, mean ± SD | 2.68 ±3.33 | 1.52 ±0.35 | 0.60 |
| TC/HDL-C, mean ± SD | 3.53 ±4.06 | 2.00 ±1.07 | 0.51 |
| Parameter | N = 25 | N = 9 | P-value |
| Sex, n (%): | |||
| Girls | 17 (68.0) | 5 (55.55) | 0.526 |
| Boys | 8 (32.0) | 4 (44.45) | |
| Age, range [years] | 7–18 | 7–18 | |
| BMI z-score, mean ± SD | 0.046 ±1.04 | –1.58 ±2.04 | 0.014 |
| BDNF, mean, median, IQR [pg/ml] | 171.57, 103.33, 315.47 | 64.04, 2.67, 606.56 | 0.012 |
| VEGF, mean, median, IQR [pg/ml] | 214.99, 132.60, 265.81 | 181.99, 173.25, 193.53 | 0.906 |
| sCD40L, mean, median, IQR [pg/ml] | 2168.91, 826.96, 4231.71 | 2230.73, 1492.87, 478.83 | 0.148 |
| PAI-1, mean, median, IQR [ng/ml] | 82.50, 19.36, 58.55 | 18.52, 10.58, 21.98 | 0.148 |