Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of the studied population
| Characteristic | Multiple Myeloma | Controls |
|---|---|---|
| n = 33 | n = 28 | |
| Gender | ||
| Male | 17 (60.7%) | 14 (50%) |
| Female | 14 (39.3%) | 14 (50%) |
| Age (median[max-min]) | 60 (42–83) | 57 (36–74) |
| Tobacco | ||
| Never used | 21 (63.6%) | 16 (57.1%) |
| Light smoker (<20 cigarretes) | - | 02 (7.1%) |
| Heavy smoker (>20 cigarretes) | 01 (0.33%) | 01 (3.5%) |
| Ex-smoker | 11 (33.3%) | 09 (32.1%) |
| Education | ||
| Illiterate | 01 (0.33%) | - |
| Elementary School | 17 (51.5%) | 09 (32.1%) |
| High-School | 10 (30.3%) | 11 (39.2%) |
| Graduation | 05 (15.1%) | 08 (28.5%) |
| Other medical conditionsa | ||
| Cardiovascular | 20 (60.6%) | - |
| Diabetes | 07 (21.2%) | 11 (39.2%) |
| Hepatophaties | 01 (3.00%) | 06 (21.4%) |
| Thyroid disease | 03 (9.09%) | - |
| Renal disease | 07 (21.2%) | 01 (3.5%) |
| Medicationsa | ||
| Anti platelet/anticoagulant | 09 (27.2%) | 02 (7.1%) |
| Antihistamine | 13 (39.4%) | - |
| Antimicrobial | 17 (51.5%) | - |
| Antifungal | 05 (15.1%) | - |
| Antilipidemic | 01 (3.00%) | 07 (25.0%) |
| Bortezomib | 02 (3.20%) | - |
| Corticosteroids | 30 (90.9%) | - |
| Cyclophosphamide | 12 (19.3%) | - |
| Cardiovascular | 24 (72.7%) | 06 (21.4%) |
| Etoposide | 01 (1.60%) | - |
| Hormones | 03 (9.09%) | - |
| Melphalan | 06 (9.60%) | - |
| Thalidomide | 18 (29.0%) | - |
| Tranquilizer | 04 (12.1%) | - |
| Vitamins/supplements | 06 (18.1%) | - |
p-value non-significant for all variables.
a
Some patients presented more than one medical conditions or were taking more than one medications.