Table 1.
Characteristics of study participants by quartile of PCSK9 level.
| Quartile of PCSK−9 level (Range, ng/mL) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | Overall | First (25.2–247.8) | Second (248–339.2) | Third (339.3–480.6) | Fourth (481.0–1440.6) | p |
| Number | 1577 | 394 | 393 | 395 | 395 | |
| PCSK9 level (ng/mL) | 339.3 (248.0–481.0) | 197.4 (163.5–226.8) | 293.2 (269.8–312.5) | 405.8 (370.4–441.6) | 602.1 (528.7–718.6) | |
| Age (years) | 53 (42–65) | 54 (43–64) | 52 (42–64) | 53 (41–65) | 54 (43–64) | 0.98 |
| Female sex [N (%)] | 784 (49.7) | 199 (50.5) | 202 (51.4) | 198 (50.1) | 185 (46.8) | 0.6 |
| Race [N (%)] | 0.09 | |||||
| White | 1216 (77.1) | 296 (75.1) | 300 (76.3) | 315 (79.8) | 305 (77.2) | |
| African–American | 239 (15.2) | 75 (19.0) | 59 (15.0) | 53 (13.4) | 52 (13.2) | |
| Other | 122 (7.7) | 23 (5.8) | 34 (8.7) | 27 (6.8) | 38 (9.6) | |
| Medical ICU [N (%)] | 990 (63.8) | 267 (67.8) | 241 (61.3) | 254 (64.3) | 228 (57.7) | 0.03 |
| Cause of ARDS [N (%)] | 0.33 | |||||
| Sepsis | 256 (16.3) | 76 (19.4) | 56 (14.3) | 63 (16.0) | 61 (15.4) | |
| Trauma | 36 (2.3) | 6 (1.5) | 9 (2.3) | 5 (1.3) | 16 (4.1) | |
| Transfusion | 19 (1.2) | 5 (1.3) | 4 (1.0) | 5 (1.3) | 5 (1.3) | |
| Aspiration | 129 (8.2) | 35 (8.9) | 26 (6.7) | 35 (8.9) | 33 (8.4) | |
| Pneumonia | 1069 (68) | 258 (65.8) | 280 (71.6) | 271 (68.8) | 260 (65.8) | |
| Other | 63 (4.0) | 12 (3.1) | 16 (4.1) | 15 (3.8) | 20 (5.1) | |
| Height (cm) | 168 (162.5–176.5) | 167.6 (160–177) | 170 (162.3–175.7) | 168 (162.6–175.3) | 170 (162.6–177.8) | 0.28 |
| Weight (kg) | 82 (68–100) | 78 (67–95) | 85 (69–100) | 83 (68–100) | 84 (69–103) | 0.002 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 28.6 (23.8–34.7) | 27.8 (23.1–33.1) | 28.9 (23.8–35.1) | 28.9 (23.9–35.2) | 29.0 (24.2–35.9) | 0.006 |
| APACHE III score | 91 (72–111) | 93 (73–114) | 90 (74–109) | 84 (68–106) | 93 (72–114) | 0.51 |
| Comorbidities [N (%)] | ||||||
| Chronic dialysis | 44 (2.8) | 17 (4.3) | 7 (1.8) | 8 (2.0) | 12 (3.0) | 0.12 |
| AIDS | 37 (2.4) | 8 (2.0) | 8 (2.0) | 9 (2.3) | 12 (3.0) | 0.76 |
| Leukemia | 59 (3.7) | 10 (2.5) | 19 (4.8) | 13 (3.2) | 17 (4.3) | 0.33 |
| Lymphoma | 18 (1.1) | 8 (2.0) | 4 (1.0) | 1 (0.3) | 5 (1.3) | 0.13 |
| Solid tumor | 41 (2.6) | 15 (3.8) | 12 (3.1) | 6 (1.5) | 8 (2.0) | 0.18 |
| Immunodeficiency | 202 (12.8) | 47 (11.9) | 61 (15.5) | 37 (9.3) | 57 (14.4) | 0.05 |
| Hepatic disease | 17 (1.1) | ‘5 (3.8) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.3) | 1 (0.3) | <0.001 |
| Cirrhosis | 74 (4.7) | 49 (12.5) | 13 (3.3) | 7 (1.8) | 5 (1.3) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes | 408 (25.9) | 101 (25.7) | 93 (23.7) | 93 (23.5) | 121 (30.6) | 0.08 |
| Hypertension | 742 (47.1) | 176 (44.8) | 182 (46.3) | 181 (45.8) | 203 (51.4) | 0.25 |
| Prior MI | 80 (5.1) | 19 (4.8) | 18 (4.6) | 24 (6.1) | 19 (4.8) | 0.77 |
| Prior heart failure | 101 (6.4) | 24 (6.1) | 26 (6.6) | 24 (6.1) | 27 (6.8) | 0.96 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 74 (4.7) | 23 (5.8) | 23 (5.9) | 10 (2.5) | 18 (4.6) | 0.09 |
| Stroke/TIA | 54 (3.4) | 14 (3.6) | 13 (3.3) | 14 (3.5) | 13 (3.3) | 0.99 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 234 (14.9) | 59 (15.0) | 70 (17.8) | 56 (14.1) | 49 (12.4) | 0.19 |
| Laboratory evaluation | ||||||
| WBC, high (cells/mm3) | 12.7 (8.1–18.2) | 13.7 (8.3–18.9) | 14.0 (9.5–19.4) | 12.6 (8.4–18.9) | 10.9 (7.1–15.7) | 0.02 |
| Platelets (cells/mm3) | 172 (107–246) | 171 (96–243) | 186 (108–271) | 182 (172–244) | 151 (110–214) | 0.12 |
| Sodium, low (mEQ/L) | 138 (134–141) | 138 (134–141) | 138 (134–140) | 137 (134–140) | 138 (134–142) | 0.03 |
| Potassium, high (mEQ/L) | 4.2 (3.8–4.6) | 4.1 (3.7–4.5) | 4.2 (3.9–4.6) | 4.1 (3.7–4.6) | 4.2 (3.8–4.6) | 0.85 |
| Creatinine, high (mg/dL) | 1.2 (0.8–2.0) | 1.3 (0.8–2.0) | 1.2 (0.8–1.9) | 1.1 (0.8–1.7) | 1.2 (0.8–2.1) | 0.82 |
| Glucose, high (mg/dL) | 145 (116–189) | 140 (109–182) | 144 (115–184) | 142 (114–186) | 155 (124–207) | 0.001 |
| Bicarbonate (mEQ/L) | 22 (18–25) | 21 (18–25) | 22 (18–24) | 22 (19–26) | 22 (18–25) | 0.15 |
| Sepsis [N (%)] | 0.53 | |||||
| Primary diagnosis | 260 (16.5) | 77 (19.5) | 58 (14.8) | 64 (16.2) | 61 (15.4) | |
| Secondary diagnosis | 777 (49.3) | 188 (47.7) | 203 (51.7) | 197 (49.9) | 189 (47.9) | |
| Vasopressor use [N (%)] | 815 (51.7) | 202 (51.3) | 208 (52.9) | 209 (52.9) | 196 (49.6) | 0.76 |
| Temperature, high (degrees C) | 38.1 (37.4–38.9) | 37.9 (37.2–38.6) | 38.1 (37.3–38.9) | 38.2 (37.5–38.9) | 38.3 (37.6–39.1) | <0.001 |
| HR, high (beats per minute) | 116 (102–131) | 115 (100–131) | 117 (103–130) | 114 (100–129) | 120 (103–135) | 0.041 |
| SBP, low (mmHg) | 85 (76–94) | 84 (77–92) | 84 (76–94) | 85 (77–94) | 86 (77–95) | 0.24 |
| Urine out, day 0 (mL) | 1333 (771–2155) | 1210 (605–1885) | 1400 (797–2125) | 1374 (811–2305) | 1408 (815–2217) | 0.2 |
| Fluid balance, day 0 (mL) | 1932 (384–3880) | 1888 (289–4094) | 2009 (412–3967) | 1934 (132–3485) | 1913 (603–3831) | 0.84 |
| pH | 7.37 (7.31–7.42) | 7.36 (7.30–7.41) | 7.37 (7.33–7.42) | 7.37 (7.32–7.42) | 7.37 (7.31–7.42) | 0.42 |
| PaO2 (mmHg) | 84 (70–105) | 83 (70–107) | 86 (73–108) | 84 (68–108) | 81 (69–100) | 0.23 |
| PaCO2 (mmHg) | 38 (33–45) | 39 (34–45) | 38 (34–45) | 40 (34–46) | 37 (32–44) | 0.83 |
| P/F ratio | 150 (109–202) | 150 (114–205) | 153 (110–203) | 152 (112–203) | 143 (101–196) | 0.16 |
| Death [N, (%)] | 386 (24.5) | 121 (30.7) | 81 (20.6) | 79 (20.0) | 105 (26.6) | 0.001 |
| ICU free days | 18 (1–23) | 18 (0–23) | 20 (8–23) | 20 (4–24) | 15 (0–22) | 0.19 |
| Ventilator free days | 20 (0–24) | 19 (0–24) | 21 (0–24) | 22 (0–25) | 17 (0–24) | 0.65 |