Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the patients

N

40

31

16

30

25

12

10

6

4

Female (%)

15 (37.5)

3 (9.7)^a

6 (37.5)^b

12 (40.0)

3 (25.0)^a

5 (41.7)

3 (30.0)

0 (0.0)

1 (25.0)

Age (years)

70.9 ± 9.2

73.3 ± 9.6^a

65.5 ± 10.9^b

69.3 ± 8.5

65.8 ± 12.1^a

76.0 ± 5.0^c

75.6 ± 10.2

64.3 ± 3.7^a

65.3 ± 15.8

Duration on dialysis (months)

87.5 ± 104.7

43.5 ± 58.3^a

80.1 ± 107.2

92.2 ± 101.4

39.2 ± 51.6^a

80.5 ± 120.3

73.4 ± 118.6

61.3 ± 84.7

79.0 ± 66.0

Diabetes (%)

15 (37.5)

17 (54.8)

8 (50.0)

10 (33.3)

14 (56.0)

6 (50.0)

5 (50.0)

3 (50.0)

2 (50.0)

Hemoglobin (g/dl)

9.8 ± 0.9

9.6 ± 1.2

10.0 ± 1.2

9.7 ± 0.9

9.8 ± 1.2

9.8 ± 1.1

10.0 ± 0.5

8.9 ± 1.1^a

10.8 ± 1.5^b

ESAs (μg/4 weeks)

104.6 ± 44.0

116.0 ± 44.6

101.9 ± 43.1

109.3 ± 45.5

120.6 ± 46.3

112.5 ± 43.3

90.5 ± 37.5

96.7 ± 32.7

70.0 ± 24.5

C.E.R.A. (N)

34

24

15

27

21

11

7

3

4

Darbepoetin alfa (N)

6

7

1

3

4

1

3

3

0

CRP (mg/dl)

0.18 ± 0.24

0.27 ± 0.45

0.31 ± 0.63

0.18 ± 0.26

0.20 ± 0.35

0.19 ± 0.31

0.17 ± 0.16

0.57 ± 0.69

0.68 ± 1.17

Serum alb (g/dl)

3.5 ± 0.3

3.6 ± 0.3

3.7 ± 0.2

3.6 ± 0.3

3.6 ± 0.3

3.6 ± 0.2

3.5 ± 0.2

3.6 ± 0.5

3.8 ± 0.3

p (mg/dl)

4.8 ± 1.0

5.0 ± 1.1

5.6 ± 1.3^a

4.9 ± 1.1

5.1 ± 1.1

5.4 ± 1.2

4.6 ± 0.8

4.7 ± 0.7

6.3 ± 1.3^{a, b}

Intact PTH (pg/ml)

173.6 ± 95.1

179.4 ± 115.3

160.8 ± 148.8

171.2 ± 103.5

156.1 ± 77.3

172.8 ± 168.1

180.8 ± 67.6

276.3 ± 192.4

124.5 ± 68.8

Ferritin (ng/ml)

79.4 ± 45.3

65.1 ± 35.7

74.4 ± 43.8

57.8 ± 25.2

51.3 ± 22.2

52.8 ± 20.4

144.4 ± 24.0

122.4 ± 19.9

139.1 ± 25.3

Fe (μg/dl)

N.A.

76.5 ± 23.4

73.3 ± 31.6

N.A.

80.4 ± 22.3

75.6 ± 33.0

N.A.

60.2 ± 22.5

66.8 ± 31.1