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Table 2 Separate analyses based on control group for comparing biochemical indicator levels in blood and CSF

From: Aberrations of biochemical indicators in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Biochemical indicator

vs HC

vs ONDsa

No. of studies

No. of ALS/controls

WMD

Lower 95%CI

High 95% CI

p value

No. of studies

No. of ALS/controls

WMD

Lower 95%CI

High 95% CI

p value

Total cholesterol

16

2762/4479

3.98

−3.48

11.44

0.30

1

39/66

10.87

−1.22

22.96

0.08

LDL-C

13

2677/4347

0.46

−6.56

7.47

0.90

0

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

HDL-C

14

2707/4376

1.67

−0.89

4.24

0.20

0

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

TG

11

2366/2261

0.11

−9.15

9.37

0.98

0

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Fasting blood glucose

8

220/204

0.13

0.05

0.21

0.001

1

81/37

0.20

−0.23

0.63

0.37

Fasting insulin

6

94/88

−6.79

−29.27

15.70

0.55

0

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

CSF glucose

1

20/20

−0.05

−0.37

0.27

0.76

2

112/71

0.06

−0.10

0.21

0.45

CSF total proteinb

0

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

5

312/153

−1.45

−5.13

2.24

0.44

Qalb

1

14/20

2.00

−2.94

6.94

0.43

5

508/180

0.46

−0.55

1.47

0.37

Serum albumin

3

630/611

−1.52

−5.53

2.48

0.46

0

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Serum total protein

3

705/690

−0.44

−1.03

0.14

0.14

0

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Serum ferritin

9

1638/1217

63.43

48.12

78.73

< 0.001

2

572/255

58.72

29.23

88.21

< 0.001

Serum transferrinc

6

974/659

−0.13

−0.17

−0.08

< 0.001a

2

184/83

0.81

−1.34

2.96

0.46

Serum iron

6

974/659

0.34

−0.68

1.37

0.51

1

72/38

−0.49

−2.70

1.71

0.66

TIBC

3

236/304

−2.42

−3.93

−0.90

0.002

1

72/38

−1.74

−5.39

1.91

0.35

TSC %

3

858/486

2.79

1.52

4.05

< 0.001

0

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Creatine kinase

5

229/1843

80.29

32.90

127.67

0.001

0

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

  1. Abbreviations: ALS amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, CI confidence interval, CSF cerebrospinal fluid, HC healthy control, HDL-C high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, NA not available, OND other neurological disease, Qalb CSF/serum albumin quotient, TG triglyceride, TIBC total iron-binding capacity, TSC% transferrin saturation coefficient, WMD weighted mean difference
  2. a: ONDs are other neurological diseases excluding ALS-related disease. Note: only one study compared ALS with lower motor neuron disease on total protein in CSF [Süssmuth. S. 2010]
  3. b: Süssmuth. S et al. compared total protein in CSF and Qalb between ALS patients and lower motor neuron disease but the results did not have statistical significance (CSF total protein: WMD = −6.90, 95% CI [− 36.23–22.43], p = 0.65; Qalb: WMD = 2.00, 95% CI [−2.94–6.94], p = 0.47)
  4. c: By performing a separate analysis based on control group, serum transferrin showed a significant decrease in ALS patients compared with healthy controls other than ONDs