Complement C3 serum levels in anorexia nervosa: a potential biomarker for the severity of disease?

Table 1 Patient demographics

Demographic	Healthy controls	Anorexia nervosa patients	P value^a
Patients, n	17	14	-
Age, years	30.4 ± 3.7	32.4 ± 12.8	0.56
Female, %	82.4	78.6	>0.99
Height, inches	66.4 ± 4.4	64.0 ± 3.2	0.09
Initial weight, pounds	140.6 ± 31.4	80.6 ± 11.6	<0.001
Initial body mass index, kg/m²	22.2 ± 2.6	13.6 ± 1.5	<0.001
Initial percentage of ideal body weight	104.1 ± 11.4	64.5 ± 7.6	<0.001
Serum total protein, mg/ml	73.7 ± 9.6	61.9 ± 8.2	0.001
Admission albumin levels (normal: 3-5.3 g/dl)	NA	3.6 ± 0.7	NA
Length of follow-up, days	NA	49.4 ± 31.7^b	NA

^aStatistical analysis compares differences between cohorts using t test and Fisher's exact test as appropriate. Data are expressed as mean ± SD.
^bFour anorexia patients were in the hospital less than 2 weeks; therefore they did not have a follow-up and are excluded.
NA = not applicable.

ISSN: 1744-859X