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Table 2 Associations between selected factors and IL-6 serum levels (N = 527)

From: Predictors of circulating INTERLEUKIN-6 levels in head and neck cancer patients

Factors

Categories

Median IL-6 (ng/L) (IQR)

Crude β (SE)

P-value

Age (years)

≤ 50

2.4 (1.0–3.7)

Reference

 

>  50 ≤ 60

2.9 (2.0–3.9)

0.15 (0.11)

 

>  60 ≤ 70

3.2 (2.4–4.4)

0.34 (0.11)

 

>  70

3.5 (2.6–5.1)

0.48 (0.11)

<  0.0001

Sex

Female

3.0 (2.2–3.9)

Reference

 

Male

3.1 (2.2–4.6)

0.15 (0.07)

0.04

Current body mass index (kg/m2)

<  18.5

3.5 (2.5–5.1)

0.13 (0.17)

 

≥ 18.5 < 30

2.9 (2.1–4.1)

Reference

 

≥ 30

3.8 (2.7–4.9)

0.22 (0.08)

0.02

Body mass index at 20 years (kg/m2)

<  18.5

3.0 (2.0–4.9)

−0.06 (0.11)

 

≥ 18.5 < 30

3.1 (2.2–4.4)

Reference

 

≥ 30

4.1 (2.7–7.0)

0.43 (0.17)

0.04

Marital status

Not married

3.3 (2.5–4.6)

Reference

 

Married

3.0 (2.1–4.4)

−0.16 (0.07)

0.02

Household income (per year)

< $40,000

3.3 (2.3–4.6)

Reference

 

≥ $40,000

2.7 (2.0–3.7)

−0.22 (0.07)

0.02

Karnofsky Performance Status (%)

90–100

3.0 (2.2–4.3)

Reference

 

60–80

4.9 (2.9–5.8)

0.46 (0.11)

<  0.0001

Charlson Comorbidity Index

0

2.9 (2.1–3.9)

Reference

 

1

3.4 (2.1–5.1)

0.24 (0.07)

 

≥ 2

3.7 (2.8–5.2)

0.38 (0.09)

<  0.0001

Diabetes

No

3.0 (2.2–4.4)

Reference

 

Yes

3.6 (2.8–5.0)

0.22 (0.12)

0.06

Glottic cancer

No

3.5 (2.5–5.0)

Reference

 

Yes

2.9 (2.1–4.1)

−0.22 (0.06)

0.0004

TNM clinical stage

I

2.9 (2.1–4.2)

Reference

 

II

3.4 (2.4–4.9)

0.17 (0.06)

0.007

Tobacco consumption

(all tobacco products)

Never

2.2 (1.0–3.3)

Reference

 

Former

3.0 (2.2–4.4)

0.48 (0.14)

 

Current

3.5 (2.4–5.1)

0.57 (0.15)

0.0008

History of alcohol abuse

No

3.0 (2.2–4.3)

Reference

 

Yes

3.6 (2.5–5.3)

0.18 (0.08)

0.03

Alcohol consumption during the preceding year (g/d)

0

3.4 (2.3–4.6)

Reference

 

≤ 2.32

3.0 (2.1–4.3)

−0.03 (0.09)

0.31

>  2.32 ≤ 12.48

2.9 (2.2–4.2)

−0.13 (0.09)

 

> 12.48

3.1 (2.4–5.0)

0.02 (0.09)

 

Alcohol consumption during the

past 10 years (g/d)

≤ 0.39

3.3 (2.1–4.3)

Reference

 

>  0.39 ≤ 10.49

3.1 (2.2–4.4)

−0.05 (0.09)

 

>  10.49 ≤ 42.88

2.8 (2.1–4.1)

−0.08 (0.09)

 

>  42.88

3.3 (2.5–5.1)

0.04 (0.09)

0.50

Sleep disturbance

Not at all

3.0 (2.1–4.4)

Reference

 

A little

3.0 (2.2–4.0)

−0.004 (0.07)

 

Quite a bit

3.5 (2.5–4.9)

0.16 (0.10)

 

Very much

3.1 (2.5–5.0)

0.17 (0.11)

0.20

  1. β is the parameter estimate associated with the increment of one unit of ln IL-6; IQR Interquartile range, SE Standard error