Patients’ characteristics according to tertiles of DcR3 levels
| Characteristic | Serum DcR3 Tertiles | P Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.05−0.92 ng/ml (n=105) | 0.93−2.41 ng/ml (n=105) | 2.45−17.78 ng/ml (n=106) | ||
| Age (yr) | 58±12 | 59±14 | 61±13 | 0.06a |
| Male sex | 48 (45.7) | 52 (49.5) | 50 (47.2) | 0.86b |
| Smoking history | 35 (33.3) | 32 (30.5) | 35 (33.0) | 0.89b |
| Hypertension | 47 (44.8) | 46 (43.8) | 52 (49.1) | 0.72b |
| Diabetes mellitus | 33 (31.4) | 36 (34.3) | 35 (33.0) | 0.91b |
| Previous CVD | 15 (14.3) | 21 (20.0) | 30 (28.6) | 0.04b |
| Hemodialysis vintage (mo) | 72 (37–131) | 76 (36–120) | 61 (26–118) | 0.34c |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 22.1±3.4 | 22.3±3.1 | 22.1±4.2 | 0.87a |
| Systolic BP (mmHg) | 134±26 | 134±22 | 138±24 | 0.40a |
| Diastolic BP (mmHg) | 75±15 | 75±10 | 76±11 | 0.73a |
| RAS blockade | 27 (25.7) | 30 (28.6) | 29 (27.3) | 0.90b |
| Total no. of antihypertensives | 3 (0–4) | 3 (0–3) | 4 (0–5) | 0.67c |
| Statin | 16 (15.2) | 15 (14.3) | 19 (17.9) | 0.75b |
| Laboratory parameters | ||||
| Kt/V urea | 2.10±0.48 | 2.05±0.41 | 2.01±0.74 | 0.58a |
| albumin (g/dl) | 4.01±0.31 | 3.95±0.41 | 3.79±0.35 | <0.001a |
| hs-CRP (mg/L) | 3.75 (1.30–6.39) | 3.86 (1.52–8.24) | 5.70 (2.23–8.81) | 0.01c |
| IL-6 (pg/ml) | 2.79 (1.66–5.53) | 4.09 (2.20–4.09) | 5.36 (2.52–14.4) | <0.001c |
| ICAM-1 (ng/ml) | 431 (333–599) | 511 (385–738) | 668 (437–818) | 0.02c |
| VCAM-1 (ng/ml) | 1903 (1491–2391) | 2139 (1585–2798) | 2550 (1672–3771) | 0.04c |
| plasma glucose (mg/dl) | 113±28 | 112±29 | 110±29 | 0.90a |
| total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 193±48 | 192±45 | 192±47 | 0.90a |
| triglyceride (mg/dl) | 190 (182–248) | 188 (181–260) | 189 (184–237) | 0.88c |
| calcium (mg/dl) | 9.7±0.7 | 9.6±0.9 | 9.6±0.8 | 0.62a |
| phosphate (mg/dl) | 5.1±1.3 | 5.2±1.5 | 4.9±1.3 | 0.21a |
| intact PTH (pg/ml) | 254 (109–421) | 217 (94–530) | 202 (65–468) | 0.81c |
| hemoglobin (g/dl) | 10.6±1.5 | 10.6±1.6 | 10.3±1.6 | 0.30a |
| dose of epoetin (U/kg per week) | 71 (30–99) | 68 (33–94) | 71 (20–95) | 0.67c |
| ferritin (μg/L) | 288 (160–452) | 322 (182–492) | 346 (196–585) | 0.29c |
| transferrin saturation (%) | 25±12 | 25±11 | 26±14 | 0.68a |
All variables were expressed as n (%) for categorical data and as means ± SD or medians and interquartile ranges for continuous data with or without a normal distribution, respectively. Previous CVD category consisted of coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease. DcR3, decoy receptor 3; CVD, cardiovascular disease; RAS, renin-angiotensin system; hs-CRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; ICAM-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1; VCAM-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1; PTH, parathyroid hormone.
↵a Statistical analysis by ANOVA.
↵b Statistical analysis by the Pearson chi-squared test.
↵c Statistical analysis by the Kruskal–Wallis test.