Table 2.
Characteristics of nontransfusion-dependent thalassemia patients according to the presence of disorders of glucose metabolism
| Parameters | NGT (n=149) | Hypoglycemia (n=33) | Hyperglycemia (n=29) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years)a | 21.44±12.29 | 22.79±8.10 | 33.50±11.89*,# | <0.001 |
| Height (cm)a | 146.95±20.59 | 158.91±13.32* | 158.24±10.73* | 0.004 |
| Weight (kg)a | 40.57±14.82 | 48.38±10.75 | 53.58±11.20* | <0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2)a | 18.02±3.27 | 18.86±2.21 | 21.29±3.15*,# | <0.001 |
| FBG (mmol/L)b | 3.92 (1.08) (2.83,5.67) | 2.43 (0.43) (1.39,2.76)* | 3.88 (1.73) (2.70,7.42)# | <0.001 |
| PBG30 (mmol/L)b | 6.89 (1.93) (2.10,10.96) | 6.19 (2.62) (3.20,8.91) | 9.42 (1.42) (5.86,12.51)*,# | <0.001 |
| PBG120 (mmol/L)b | 5.62 (1.67) (2.65,7.68) | 5.17 (1.66) (2.73,7.52) | 8.81 (1.64) (6.73,14.03)*,# | <0.001 |
| FINS (pmol/L)b | 28.09 (27.11) (1.75,193.80) | 22.42 (18.15) (3.77,113.30) | 34.40 (53.25) (6.76,197.30) | 0.212 |
| PINS30 (pmol/L)b | 182.30 (259.71) (13.89,1292.00) | 257.47 (182.58) (35.00,823.10) | 211.50 (251.70) (54.57,1036.00) | 0.458 |
| PINS120 (pmol/L)b | 112.90 (156.19) (12.86,962.90) | 109.70 (184.00) (19.28,1016.00) | 272.85 (279.35) (84.96,1196.00)*,# | <0.001 |
| HOMA-IRb | 0.70 (0.60) (0.04,4.44) | 0.34 (0.34) (0.06,1.90)* | 0.81(1.46) (0.19,4.73)# | <0.001 |
| HOMA-βb | 187.40 (258.92) (11.42,1664.51) | 59.02 (65.42) (12.03,373.96)* | 160.67 (217.43) (3.51,1322.33)# | <0.001 |
| ISIb | 0.06 (0.05) (0.01,0.38) | 0.13 (0.11) (0.02,0.35)* | 0.06 (0.08) (0.01,0.23)# | <0.001 |
| IGI30b | 0.45 (0.71) (0.01,2.85) | 0.43 (0.46) (0.04,2.70) | 0.29 (0.36) (0.07,1.11)* | 0.029 |
| IGI120b | 0.36 (0.66) (0.01,4.72) | 0.40 (0.46) (0.01,2.37) | 0.42 (0.47) (0.07,3.56) | 0.773 |
| AUC-I (≤120 mins)b | 276.22 (381.73) (36.92,1785.73) | 369.70 (230.58) (64.60,1472.85) | 456.50 (535.11) (138.75,1953.08)* | 0.039 |
| FA (umol/L)b | 190.00 (55.00) (90.00,280.00) | 195.00 (154.00) (133.00,251.00) | 181.50 (63.75) (133.00,364.67) | 0.632 |
| SF (ng/mL)b | 680.23 (1284.00) (27.15,7440.78) | 652.55 (1097.00) (161.55,6130.07) | 1108.00 (2955.71) (26.88,8300.00)*,# | 0.012 |
| LIC (mg Fe/g dw)b | 9.05 (14.48) (0.60,43.00) | 8.75 (9.15) (0.80,35.30) | 17.10 (31.30) (5.80,43.00)*,# | 0.003 |
| AST (U/L)b | 28.00 (20.00) (13.00,119.00) | 30.00 (9.00) (13.00,84.00) | 34.00 (23.00) (18.00,122.00) | 0.178 |
| ALT (U/L)b | 18.00 (24.50) (4.00,120.00) | 17.00 (15.00) (5.00,101.00) | 26.00 (30.00) (9.00,76.00)* | 0.034 |
| ALB (g/L)b | 47.00 (4.17) (35.00,67.30) | 49.40 (3.67) (41.50,68.00)* | 46.90 (4.05) (27.00,52.00)# | 0.002 |
Notes: *P<0.05, compared with the NGT group; #P<0.05 compared with the hypoglycemia group; a expressed as average ± SD; b expressed as median (IQR)(range).
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; ALB, albumin; AUC-I, area under the curve of total insulin secretion; SF, serum ferritin; FBG, fasting blood glucose; PBG30, half-hour postprandial blood glucose; PBG120, 2 hr postprandial blood glucose; FINS, fasting insulin; PINS30, half-hour postprandial insulin; PINS120, 2 hr postprandial insulin; FA, fructosamine; HOMA-IR, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance; HOMA-β, homeostatic model assessment beta cell function; ISI, insulin sensitivity index; IGI30, early phase insulinogenic index; IGI120, delayed phase insulinogenic index; LIC, liver iron concentration.