Table 2.
Comparison of serum parameter values in healthy controls and patients with AN at hospital admission (AN1) and discharge (AN2).
| Variable | Control | AN1 | AN2 | Δ | P-value for Δ | P -value | P-value for Kruskal-Wallis test | Normal adult women reference ranges | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AN1 vs. AN2 | AN1 vs. C | AN2 vs. C | ||||||||
| Total protein (g/l) | 69.2 (66.7, 71.5) | 66.7 (63.6, 70.5) | 67.6 (64.6, 69.9) | 0.2 (−3.65, 3.23) | NS | ** | * | <0.05 | 65–85 | |
| Albumin (%) | 57.5 (55.4, 59.8) | 60.2 (58.7, 62.8) | 58.5 (57, 60.3) | −2.4 (−4.3, −0.675) | <0.001 | ** | *** | <0.001 | 55–69 | |
| Albumin (g/l) | 40.4 (38.2, 41.7) | 40.5 (38.1, 42.2) | 39.2 (38.1, 40.5) | −1.55 (−3.08, 0.325) | NS | NS | - | |||
| Alpha 1 globulin (%) | 2.5 (2.2, 2.8) | 2.2 (1.9, 2.5) | 2.2 (2, 2.7) | 0 (−0.2, 0.2) | NS | ** | NS | 1.5–4 | ||
| Alpha 1 globulin (g/l) | 1.7 (1.55, 1.9) | 1.5 (1.3, 1.7) | 1.5 (1.35, 1.8) | 0 (−0.2, 0.2) | NS | *** | ** | <0.01 | - | |
| Alpha 2 globulin (%) | 11.9 (10.9, 12.9) | 11.9 (10.9, 12.3) | 12.4 (11.9, 13.3) | 0.8 (0.5, 1.63) | <0.001 | ** | * | NS | 8–12 | |
| Alpha 2 globulin (g/l) | 8.1 (7.45, 8.95) | 7.8 (7.05, 8.4) | 8.4 (7.8, 9) | 0.6 (0.2, 1.4) | <0.001 | ** | NS | - | ||
| Beta globulin (%) | 11.9 (11, 13) | 11 (10.2, 11.9) | 12.4 (11.3, 13) | 1.4 (0.975, 2.13) | <0.001 | *** | *** | <0.001 | 7–15 | |
| Beta globulin (g/l) | 8.4 (7.7, 9.1) | 7.3 (6.6, 8.1) | 8.3 (7.6, 9) | 0.8 (0.3, 1.9) | <0.001 | *** | *** | <0.001 | - | |
| Gamma globulin (%) | 16 (14.2, 17.7) | 14.1 (12.2, 16.2) | 14 (12.6, 16.3) | 0 (−0.95, 0.925) | NS | ** | ** | <0.05 | 9–18 | |
| Gamma globulin (g/l) | 11.1 (9.65, 12.7) | 9.6 (7.7, 11.4) | 9.7 (8.15, 11.1) | 0.2 (−0.625, 0.875) | NS | *** | ** | <0.01 | - | |
| CRP (mg/l) | 0.76 (0.34, 1.7) | 0.61 (0.36, 0.89) | 0.56 (0.18, 1.04) | 0.0219 (−0.398, 0.511) | NS | NS | 2–8 | |||
| Cholinesterase (?kat/l) | 108 (100, 123) | 93 (77.5, 111) | 104 (95.5, 118) | 14 (4, 23.5) | <0.001 | * | *** | <0.01 | 85.2–195.4 | |
| TAG (mmol/l) | 0.85 (0.59, 1.08) | 0.85 (0.59, 1.02) | 0.92 (0.68, 1.2) | 0.07 (−0.06, 0.333) | NS | NS | 0.45–1.7 | |||
| TSH (mIU/L) | 2.36 (1.92, 3.44) | 2.11 (1.43, 2.7) | 2.3 (1.78, 3.41) | 0.3 (−0.423, 0.749) | NS | NS | 0.3–3.5 | |||
| fT4 (pmol/l) | 14.8 (13.8, 15.8) | 12.5 (11.9, 13.6) | 12 (10.7, 12.9) | −0.6 (−1.93, 0.5) | NS | *** | *** | <0.001 | 12–22 | |
| IgG (g/l) | 11.2 (9.94, 12.6) | 9.97 (8.2, 12) | 10.5 (9.01, 12.3) | 0.185 (−0.305, 0.88) | NS | * | NS | 6.7–15 | ||
| IgA (g/l) | 1.72 (1.32, 2.27) | 1.93 (1.53, 2.33) | 1.9 (1.37, 2.2) | −0.13 (−0.265, 0.0125) | <0.01 | NS | 0.9–3.7 | |||
| IgM (g/l) | 1.36 (1.15, 1.68) | 1.03 (0.76, 1.41) | 1.05 (0.68, 1.27) | −0.005 (−0.085, 0.0425) | NS | *** | *** | <0.001 | 0.6–2.2 | |
| IgE (IU/ml) | 36.6 (12.8, 86.4) | 23.9 (9.65, 77.4) | 18.4 (8.8, 75.1) | −0.75 (−5.78, 0.325) | NS | NS | 0–200 | |||
CRP, C-reactive protein; TAG, triacylglycerols; TSH, thyroid-stimulating hormone; fT4, thyroxine.
Changes during hospitalization (calculated as the values at hospital admission and values at hospital discharge) were evaluated by Wilcoxon's paired test corrected for ties. The multiple comparisons between groups were evaluated by the Kruskal-Wallis Z test followed Dunn's multiple comparisons with Bonferonni correction. Both Kruskal-Wallis test and Wilcoxon's test were corrected for multiplicity using Bonferroni correction. The results are shown as median with quartiles. AN1—patients with anorexia nervosa before treatment, AN2—patients with anorexia nervosa after treatment; Δ represents the absolute change calculated as the value after intervention - basal value; nControl = 67, nAN1 = 52, nAN2 = 52;
p < 0.05,
p < 0.01,
p < 0.001. NS, non-significant.