Table 1.

Descriptive characteristics of the participants at 7, 15, and 24 months.

Variables	7 months	15 months	24 months
Gender, n (%)
Male	118 (49.2%)
Female	122 (50.8%)	-	-
Hb%* (g/dL), median (IQR)	10.7 (10.1-11.4)	10.4 (9.5-11.3)	11.2 (10.1-12.1)
CRP* (mg/L)†	0.95 (0.40, 2.90)	0.60 (0.30, 2.20)	0.60 (0.15, 1.70)
median (IQR)
AGP* (mg/dL)†	89.00 (68.75, 115.25)	86.00 (69.00, 109.00)	72.00 (55.00, 95.00)
median (IQR)
Ferritin (μg/L),	30.50 (16.00, 48.80)	12.80 (6.83, 21.80)	8.00 (4.80, 14.50)
median (IQR)
Ferritin (μg/L),	25.9 (12.8-42.4)	10.7 (5.7-18.1)	7.2 (4.7-13.9)
median (IQR)‡
sTfR* (mg/L), median (IQR)	5.2 (4.4-6.8)	7.2 (5.2-9.6)	6.9 (5.3-10.8)

^*AGP = alpha-1-acid glycoprotein; CRP = C-reactive protein; hb% = serum haemoglobin; sTfR = soluble transferrin receptor; IQR = Inter-quartile range

^†Normal ranges: CRP, ≤ 10 mg/L; AGP, ≤ 100 mg/dL

^‡Adjusted for elevated CRP and elevated AGP by mathematical correction.