Table 2.
HbF and proinflammatory cytokine levels in patients with and without elevated NGAL.
| Parameters | Patients with diabetes | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevated NGAL (n = 76) | Nonelevated NGAL (n = 84) | ||
| HbF production | |||
| HbF level (%) | 1.44 ± 1.05 | 0.94 ± 0.68 | 0.001 |
| High HbF (n, %) | 28 (36.8) | 13 (15.5) | 0.002 |
| Proinflammatory cytokines | |||
| TNF-α (pg/mL) | 53.1 (14.2–109.5) | 30.6 (8.7–61.2) | <0.001 |
| IL-5 (pg/mL) | 21.8 (9.4–65.3) | 10.3 (5.1–40.5) | <0.001 |
| Anemia indices | |||
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 10.9 ± 2.4 | 13.1 ± 2.9 | <0.001 |
| Anemia (n, %) | 34 (44.7) | 15 (17.8) | <0.001 |
| Kidney function | |||
| eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) | 80.4 ± 10.5 | 82.6 ± 11.2 | 0.203 |
| MAU (n, %) | 18 (23.7) | 12 (14.3) | 0.129 |
Data are expressed as mean ± SD, median (IQR), or frequency (%). HbF: fetal hemoglobin; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α; IL-5: interleukin-5; eGFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate; MAU: microalbuminuria; NGAL: neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin.