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Table 1 Participants’ demographics and medical characteristics

From: Abnormal DNA methylation within genes of the steroidogenesis pathway two years after paediatric critical illness and association with stunted growth in height further in time

Demographics and medical characteristics

DNA methylation study at 2-year follow-up

PICU patients with height at 4-year follow-up

N = 658

Healthy children

N = 392

PICU patients

N = 818

P-value

PICU patients, no GC

N = 608

PICU patients, GC

N = 210

P-value

Demographics

Age at 2-year follow-up (years)—median (IQR)

3.8 (2.6–8.2)

3.4 (2.6–7.9)

0.96

3.2 (2.6–7.9)

3.6 (2.6–8.0)

0.31

3.3 (2.6–7.5)

Sex

 Male—no (%)

212 (54.1)

475 (58.1)

0.19

212 (54.1)

475 (58.1)

0.10

385 (58.5)

 Female—no (%)

180 (45.9)

343 (41.9)

 

180 (45.9)

343 (41.9)

 

273 (41.5)

Known non-Caucasian racea—no (%)

32 (8.2)

66 (8.1)

0.95

42 (6.9)

24 (11.4)

0.045

52 (7.9)

Known non-European origina—no (%)

51 (13.0)

144 (17.6)

0.038

96 (15.8)

48 (22.9)

0.023

109 (16.6)

Medical characteristics

STRONGkids risk levelb

  

–

  

0.30

 

 Medium—no (%)

NA

736 (90.0)

 

551 (90.6)

185 (88.1)

 

588 (89.4)

 High—no (%)

NA

82 (10.0)

 

57 (9.4)

25 (11.9)

 

70 (10.6)

PeLOD score, first 24 h in PICUc—median (IQR)

NA

22 (12–32)

–

22 (12–32)

21 (11–31)

0.012

21 (12–32)

PIM3 scored—median (IQR)

NA

-3.8 (-4.4 to -2.7))

–

-3.9 (-4.4 to -2.9)

-3.0 (-4.3 to -0.9)

 < 0.0001

-3.7 (-4.4 to -2.7)

PIM3 probability of deathe (%)—median (IQR)

NA

2.3 (1.2–6.5)

–

2.0 (1.2–5.3)

4.6 (1.4–10.4)

 < 0.0001

2.3 (1.2–6.5)

Diagnostic category

  

–

  

 < 0.0001

 

 Cardiac surgery—no (%)

NA

364 (44.5)

 

308 (50.7)

56 (26.7)

  

 Elective other surgery—no (%)

NA

116 (14.2)

 

85 (14.0)

31 (14.8)

  

 Urgent other surgery—no (%)

NA

142 (17.4)

 

96 (15.8)

46 (21.9)

  

 Medical diagnosis—no (%)

NA

196 (24.0)

 

119 (19.6)

77 (36.7)

  

Malignancy—no (%)

0 (0.0)

39 (4.8)

 < 0.0001

18 (3.0)

21 (10.0)

0.0001

36 (5.5)

Syndromee—no (%)

4 (1.0)

168 (20.5)

 < 0.0001

118 (19.4)

50 (23.8)

0.17

120 (18.2)

  1. IQR interquartile range; GC glucocorticoid treatment during PICU stay; NA not applicable; no number; PeLOD Paediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction score; PICU paediatric intensive care unit; PIM3 Paediatric Index of Mortality 3 score; PN parenteral nutrition; SD standard deviation; STRONGkids Screening Tool for Risk on Nutritional Status and Growth for kids
  2. aParticipants were classified according to race and geographical origin by the investigators
  3. bSTRONGkids scores range from 0 to 5, with a score of 0 indicating a low risk of malnutrition, a score of 1 to 3 indicating medium risk, and a score of 4 to 5 indicating high risk
  4. cPeLOD scores range from 0 to 71, with higher scores indicating more severe illness
  5. dHigher PIM3 scores indicate a higher risk of mortality
  6. eA pre-randomisation syndrome or illness a priori defined as affecting or possibly affecting development (Additional file 1: Methods A1)
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Clinical Epigenetics

ISSN: 1868-7083

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