Table 3.
Clinical outcomes in patients with CAP in relation to serum cortisol levels.
| Variable | Low cortisol (n = 18) | High cortisol (n = 17) |
|---|---|---|
| Age, years (mean±SD) | 56.1±11.0 | 62.7±9.7 |
| Sex, male:female | 11:7 | 11:6 |
| Antibiotics received before treatment, n (%) | 9 (50.0) | 9 (52.9) |
| Symptoms, n (%) | ||
| Fever | 8 (44.4) | 10 (58.8) |
| Cough | 8 (47.1) | 8 (38.9) |
| Sputum | 6 (33.3) | 6 (35.3) |
| Shortness of breath | 4 (22.2) | 4 (23.5) |
| Chest pain | 3 (16.7) | 4 (23.5) |
| Laboratory | ||
| CRP, mg/L | 59.5 (23–132) | 125 (84–229)* |
| WBC, 109/mL | 9.3 (7.5–14.6) | 12.0 (9.9–16.9)* |
| HMGB-1, ng/mL | 55.5 (31–98) | 101 (89–151)* |
| PSI, n (%) | ||
| I–III | 17 (94.4) | 2 (11.8)* |
| IV–V | 1 (5.6) | 15 (88.2)* |
| Mortality during 30 days follow-up, n (%) | 2 (11.1) | 9 (52.9)* |
CAP: community-acquired pneumonia, SD: standard deviation, WBC: white blood cell count, CRP: C-reactive protein, HMGB-1: high mobility group box-1 protein, PSI: pneumonia severity index. *P < 0.05, compared with the low-cortisol group.