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Table 2 Basic patient characteristics, biomarkers, and outcome parameters

From: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in critically ill patients: diagnostic reliability of HLH-2004 criteria and HScore

Parameters

HLH patients (n = 40)

Non-HLH patients (n = 2583)

P value

Age [years]

47 (33–62)

62 (49–73)

< 0.001‡

Male sex [n] (%)

26 (65.0%)

1588 (61.5%)

0.650†

Body mass index [kg/m2]

23.0 (21.0–26.5)

25.0 (22.0–29.0)

0.094‡

Sepsis without shock [n] (%)

12 (30.0%)

1003 (38.8%)

0.255†

Septic shock [n] (%)

23 (57.5%)

626 (24.2%)

< 0.001†

Hemodialysis [n] (%)

29 (72.5%)

1357 (52.5%)

0.012†

ECLA/ECMO [n] (%)

6 (15.0%)

188 (7.3%)

0.064†

ICU admission SOFA score

9 (6–13)

6 (3–9)

< 0.001‡

Maximum SOFA score

17 (12–19)

11 (7–15)

< 0.001‡

HLH-2004 criteria

 Measured

7 (6–7)

4 (4–5)

< 0.001‡

 Fulfilled

5 (4–6)

2 (1–2)

< 0.001‡

HScore

258 (225–280)

62 (33–101)

< 0.001‡

Bi-/pancytopenia [n] (%)*, n = 40|2582

37 (92.5%)

471 (18.2%)

< 0.001†

Hemoglobin [g/dL]

6.9 (6.4–7.6)

8.8 (7.9–9.9)

< 0.001‡

Platelet count [/nL]

18 (5–34)

170 (88–270)

< 0.001‡

Leukocyte count [/nL]

0.9 (0.2–2.7)

9.0 (6.1–13.3)

< 0.001‡

Hypofibrinogenemia or hypertriglyceridemia [n] (%), n = 40|1517

30 (75.0%)

288 (19.0%)

< 0.001†

Fibrinogen [mg/dL], n = 39|1144

2.0 (1.0–3.0)

3.8 (2.5–5.3)

< 0.001‡

Triglycerides [mg/dL], n = 39|855

376 (245–563)

158 (104–247)

< 0.001‡

Max. core body temperature [°C], n = 40|2452

39.1 (38.5–39.8)

38.2 (37.5–38.9)

< 0.001†

Splenomegaly [n] (%), n = 40|2008

26 (65.0%)

401 (20.0%)

< 0.001†

Hepatomegaly [n] (%), n = 40|2037

23 (57.5%)

328 (16.1%)

< 0.001†

Hemophagocytosis [n] (%), n = 31|221

16 (51.6%)

15 (6.8%)

< 0.001†

AST [U/L], n = 40|2327

171 (119–498)

47 (26–108)

< 0.001‡

Pre-existing immunosuppression [n] (%)

30 (75.0%)

728 (28.2%)

< 0.001†

ICU duration [d]

20.0 (11.3–37.3)

19.0 (6.0–47.1)

0.522‡

In-patient duration [d]

27.7 (18.6–77.4)

38.3 (18.1–76.1)

0.682‡

Deceased [n]

24 (60.0%)

741 (28.7%)

< 0.001†

  1. Diagnostic parameters with n representing the number of patients with available data in each group, if not available in all patients; continuous quantities in median with quartiles. CD107a testing as a functional marker for identification of NK cell activity was performed in 4 patients only; however, three showed values within the normal range and one could not be analyzed due to low NK cell count. Values of ferritin and sIL-2R of the cohort were already described in Lachmann et al. [8]
  2. ECLA extracorporeal lung assist, ECMO extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, ICU intensive care unit, SOFA sequential organ failure assessment
  3. ‡P values calculated using the Mann-Whitney U test
  4. †P values calculated using the χ2 test
  5. *Leukopenia was assumed by white blood cell count < 1.67/nL
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Critical Care

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