Table 1.
Comparison of baseline clinical characteristics
| Affected group | Control group | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 14) | (n = 44) | ||
| Age [year, median (range)] | 8.4 (3.0–15.0) | 6.8 (3.0–14.0) | 0.433 |
| Male (n, %) | 10 (71.4) | 24 (54.5) | 0.356 |
| WBC [×109/L, median (range)] | 51.8 (1.6–344.4) | 13.2 (0.8–189.6) | 0.001 |
| Hemoglobin [g/L, median (range)] | 86.9 (58.0–135.0) | 86.0 (42.0–136.0) | 0.353 |
| Platelet [×109/L, median (range)] | 58.6 (10.0–239.0) | 97.3 (9.0–321.0) | 0.061 |
| blasts in BM (%) | 85.6 (63.5–96.5) | 71.8 (20.0–94.7) | 0.017 |
| CNS involvement (CNS2/3) (n, %) | 2 (14.3) | 3 (6.8) | 0.585 |
| Hepatosplenomegaly (n, %) | 4 (28.6) | 21 (47.7) | 0.235 |
| Swollen lymph nodes (n, %) | 4 (28.6) | 15 (34.1) | 0.468 |
| Immunophenotype | 0.673 | ||
| B-ALL | 11 (78.6) | 38 (86.4) | |
| T-ALL | 3 (21.4) | 6 (13.6) | |
| Risk Group | 0.338 | ||
| low-risk (LR) | 7 (50.0) | 30 (68.2) | |
| intermediate-risk (IR) | 7 (50.0) | 14 (31.8) | |
| Birth order | 0.802 | ||
| first born (n, %) | 10 (71.4) | 29 (65.9) | |
| second child (n, %) | 3 (21.4) | 13 (29.5) | |
| third and upper (n, %) | 1 (7.1) | 2 (4.5) | |
| Delivery | 0.568 | ||
| spontaneous delivery | 8 (57.1) | 26 (59.1) | |
| caesarean section | 6 (42.9) | 18 (40.9) | |
| Birth weight | 0.513 | ||
| less than or equal to 3 kg (n, %) | 3 (21.4) | 15 (34.1) | |
| more than 3 kg (n, %) | 11 (78.6) | 29 (65.9) | |
| Feeding patterns | 0.711 | ||
| breastfeeding (n, %) | 12 (85.7) | 34 (77.3) | |
| non-breastfeeding (n, %) | 2 (14.3) | 10 (22.7) | |
| Diet | 0.676 | ||
| not picky eaters (n, %) | 10 (71.4) | 34 (77.3) | |
| meat-based (n, %) | 3 (21.4) | 9 (20.5) | |
| vegetarian-based (n, %) | 1 (7.1) | 1 (2.3) | |
| Constipation (n, %) | 3 (21.4) | 6 (13.6) | 0.673 |
| BMI [kg/m2, median (range)] | 31.0 (25.4–37.5) | 26.8 (21.5–38.8) | 0.152 |
WBC White blood cell, CNS Central nervous system, BM bone marrow, BMI Body Mass Index