Table 1.
Baseline characteristics and outcomes of the study population.
| Variable | Sepsis cohort (n = 53) | Control cohort (n = 25) | p-value | Normal range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics and pre-medication | ||||
| Age (years) | 66 (50–75) | 72 (65–79) | 0.012 | N/A |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 25.8 (23.4–29.8) | 27.8 (23.9–30.2) | 0.483 | 18.5–24.9 |
| Female sex | 21 (40%) | 15 (60%) | 0.144 | N/A |
| Anti-diabetic therapy | 12 (23%) | 8 (32%) | 0.413 | N/A |
| Statin therapy | 15 (28%) | 7 (28%) | 1.000 | N/A |
| Diabetes | 15 (28%) | 8 (32%) | 0.793 | N/A |
| Liver disease | 3 (6%) | 2 (8%) | 0.653 | N/A |
| Propofol therapy before sample acquisition | 3 (6%) | 7 (28%) | 0.010 | N/A |
| Enteral/parenteral nutrition before sample acquisition | 5 (9%) | 1 (4%) | 0.658 | N/A |
| Mechanical ventilation at sample acquisition | 22 (42%) | 9 (36%) | 0.805 | N/A |
| Time to sample acquisition (h) | 3.3 (0.7–16.5) | 3.6 (0.4–11.7) | 0.490 | N/A |
| Quantitative lipid parameters | ||||
| HDL cholesterol (mg/l) | 14 (7–33) | 39 (33–55) | <0.0001 | >40 |
| Triglycerides (mg/l) | 162 (105–274) | 115 (80–145) | 0.006 | <150 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/l) | 106 (84–130) | 114 (96–156) | 0.193 | <200 |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/l)a | 57 (28–74)b | 51 (36–77) | 0.793 | N/A |
| Apolipoprotein A-I (mg/l) | 60 (31–90) | 103 (85–130) | <0.0001 | 95–200 |
| Apolipoprotein B (mg/l) | 67 (48–84) | 66 (51–77) | 0.991 | 50–150 |
| Qualitative lipid parameters | ||||
| Arylesterase activity (AEA) (mM/min/ml serum) | 66.5 (40.9–89.5) | 111.2 (80.4–152.7) | <0.0001 | 158.5 ± 15.5c |
| Cholesterol efflux capacity (%) | 9.2 (7.6–11.0) | 9.9 (9.1–12.7) | 0.091 | 13.2 ± 1.1c |
| Laboratory covariables | ||||
| White blood count (g/L) | 14.9 (9.1–26.5) | 9.1 (6.6–13.5) | 0.011 | 4.4–11.3 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dl) | 10.8 (8.7–13.0) | 10.8 (8.6–13.3) | 0.672 | 13–17.5 |
| Platelets (g/L) | 164 (86–267) | 180 (133–243) | 0.312 | 140–440 |
| C-reactive protein (mg/l) | 213 (119–309) | 12 (4–31) | <0.0001 | <5.0 |
| Procalcitonin (ng/ml) | 8.8 (1.2–35.1) | 0.15 (0.06–0.28) | <0.0001 | <0.5 |
| Serum bilirubin (mg/l) | 0.9 (0.5–2.3) | 0.4 (0.3–0.8) | 0.002 | 0.1–1.2 |
| Serum creatinine (mg/l) | 2.3 (1.6–4) | 1.2 (0.9–2.3) | 0.003 | <1.2 |
| Serum albumin (g/dl) | 2.9 (2.4–3.2) | 3.7 (2.4–3.2) | <0.0001 | 3.5–5.3 |
| Illness severity and outcomes | ||||
| SOFA score (points) | 9 (7–13) | 5 (3–9) | <0.0001 | 0 |
| Catecholamine therapy | 45 (85%) | 13 (52%) | 0.004 | N/A |
| ICU length of stay (days) | 6 (3–10) | 3 (2–6) | 0.031 | N/A |
| Hospital length of stay (days) | 16 (7–26) | 15 (8–27) | 0.940 | N/A |
| 28-day mortality | 25 (47%) | 4 (16%) | 0.011 | N/A |
| ICU mortality | 19 (36%) | 4 (16%) | 0.110 | N/A |
Data are reported as medians (25–75th percentile) or absolute frequencies (%).
HDL, high-density lipoprotein; ICU, intensive care unit; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; N/A, not applicable; SOFA, sequential organ failure assessment.
a
LDL cholesterol calculated according to the Friedewald formula.
b
49 values.
c
Mean ± SD, data derived from eight healthy controls (five male/three female; median age, 49).