Table 3. Baseline Characteristics of Normal and Low Serum Albumin Groups.
| NSA vs. LSA group (primary group) |
MLA vs. VLA group (subgroup) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSA (n = 42) | LSA (n = 310) | P-value | MLA (albumin 2.5 - 3.4, n = 249) | VLA (albumin < 2.5, n = 61) | P-value | |
| Age, m (SD) | 56.76 (16.18) | 55.67 (18.23) | 0.68 | 55.91 (18.90) | 54.68 (15.26) | 0.59 |
| Female, n (%) | 18 (42.86) | 150 (48.39) | 0.50 | 109 (43.78) | 41 (67.21) | 0.001* |
| Race | 0.48 | 0.01* | ||||
| White, n (%) | 10 (23.81) | 73 (23.55) | 49 (19.76) | 23 (37.70) | ||
| African American, n (%) | 24 (57.14) | 152 (49.03) | 126 (50.81) | 26 (42.62) | ||
| Others, n (%) | 8 (196.05) | 85 (27.42) | 73 (29.44) | 12 (19.67) | ||
| Comorbid conditions | ||||||
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 20 (47.62) | 111 (35.81) | 0.13 | 95 (38.15) | 16 (26.23) | 0.08 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 34 (80.95) | 191 (61.61) | 0.014* | 155 (62.25) | 36 (59.02) | 0.64 |
| CKD, n (%) | 15 (35.71) | 53 (17.10) | 0.004* | 41 (16.47) | 12 (19.67) | 0.55 |
| ESRD on HD, n (%) | 5 (11.90) | 21 (6.77) | 0.23 | 18 (7.23) | 3 (4.92) | 0.52 |
| COPD, n (%) | 4 (9.52) | 31 (10) | 0.92 | 25 (10.04) | 6 (9.84) | 0.96 |
| Other lung diseases, n (%) | 5 (11.90) | 47 (15.21) | 0.57 | 36 (14.52) | 11 (18.03) | 0.49 |
| CHF, n (%) | 7 (16.67) | 37 (11.94) | 0.38 | 29 (11.65) | 8 (13.11) | 0.75 |
| CAD, n (%) | 11 (26.19) | 55(17.74) | 0.18 | 45 (18.07) | 10 (16.39) | 0.75 |
| HIV, n (%) | 1 (2.38) | 6 (1.94) | 0.84 | 1 (0.40) | 5 (8.20) | < 0.001* |
| Malignancy, n (%) | 6 (14.29) | 24 (7.74) | 0.15 | 19 (7.63) | 5 (8.20) | 0.88 |
| Smoking, n (%) | 11 (26.19) | 55 (18.52) | 0.24 | 39 (16.53) | 16 (26.23) | 0.082 |
| Alcohol dependency, n (%) | 4 (9.52) | 22 (7.10) | 0.53 | 19 (7.63) | 3 (4.92) | 0.46 |
| Obesity, n (%) | 18 (42.86) | 161 (51.94) | 0.26 | 129 (51.81) | 32 (52.46) | 0.92 |
| Cirrhosis, n (%) | 1 (2.38) | 5 (1.62) | 0.72 | 4 (1.61) | 1 (1.64) | 0.98 |
| Symptoms | ||||||
| Onset of symptoms (days), m (SD) | 4.11 (3.6) | 5.62 (4.97) | 0.018* | 5.52 (5.03) | 5.98 (4.76) | 0.51 |
| Fever, n (%) | 27 (64.29) | 182 (58.90) | 0.50 | 146 (58.63) | 36 (59.02) | 0.95 |
| Cough, n (%) | 31 (73.81) | 194 (62.78) | 0.16 | 150 (60.24) | 44 (72.13) | 0.085 |
| SOB, n (%) | 25 (59.52) | 198 (64.08) | 0.56 | 152 (61.04) | 47 (77.05) | 0.019* |
| Diarrhea, n (%) | 6 (14.29) | 33 (10.68) | 0.48 | 21 (8.43) | 13 (21.31) | 0.004* |
| AMS, n (%) | 6 (14.29) | 35 (11.33) | 0.57 | 31 (12.45) | 4 (6.56) | 0.192 |
| Chest pain, n (%) | 12 (28.57) | 39 (12.66) | 0.006* | 30 (12.10) | 9 (14.75) | 0.57 |
| Others, n (%) | 12 (28.57) | 74 (47.13) | 0.026* | 74 (47.13) | 15 (24.59) | 0.002* |
| Laboratory results | ||||||
| Albumin (g/dL), m (SD) | 3.77 (0.28) | 2.84 (0.41) | < 0.001* | 3.01 (0.24) | 2.15 (0.24) | < 0.001* |
| ESR (mm/h), m (SD) | 24 (15.52) | 57.90 (34.24) | < 0.001* | 53.43 (34.40) | 72.21 (29.30) | 0.010* |
| CRP (mg/L), m (SD) | 35.02 (43.28) | 84.32 (60.49) | < 0.001* | 81.33 (60.62) | 101.21 (64.27) | 0.043* |
| Neutrophil (× 103/µL), m (SD) | 3.65 (2.24) | 5.99 (4.05) | < 0.001* | 5.45 (3.18) | 8.35 (6.87) | 0.005* |
| Lymphocyte (× 103/µL), m (SD) | 1.38 (0.91) | 1.14 (0.70) | 0.21 | 1.21 (0.74) | 0.89 (0.45) | < 0.001* |
| NL ratio, m (SD) | 3.94 (3.68) | 6.88 (6.74) | 0.001* | 6.28 (6.75) | 8.87 (6.23) | 0.011* |
| Platelets (× 103/µL), m (SD) | 220.90 (73.77) | 233.51 (90.11) | 0.83 | 217.86 (82.40) | 245.48 (114.16) | 0.07 |
| Ferritin (ng/mL), m (SD) | 571.83 (961.77) | 925.69 (2,012.85) | 0.14 | 744.46 (1,150.94) | 1,650.90 (3,696.46) | 0.073 |
| IL-6 (pg/mL), m (SD) | 92.87 (161.77) | 244.18 (533.03) | 0.032* | 200 (433.68) | 352.87 (601.61) | 0.20 |
| LDH (U/L), m (SD) | 287.85 (148.17) | 398.79 (377.32) | 0.007* | 367.92 (166.65) | 515.76 (752.83) | 0.16 |
*Significant P-values. NSA: normal serum albumin; LSA: low serum albumin; MLA: medium low albumin; VLA: very low albumin; m: mean; SD: standard deviation; n: number; CKD: chronic kidney disease; ESRD: end-stage renal disease; HD: hemodialysis; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CHF: congestive heart disease; CAD: coronary artery disease; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; SOB: shortness of breath; AMS: altered mental status; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP: C-reactive protein; NL: neutrophil to lymphocyte; IL-6: interleukin-6; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase.