Association Between Micronutrient Concentrations and Human Epididymis Protein 4

Figures & data

Table 1 Characteristics of Study Participants

Characteristic	Total Population N=2464
Continuous variables*
Age (years)	48.07(19.26)
Creatinine (mg/dL)	0.78(0.43)
ALT(U/L)	21.19(40.02)
Total cholesterol (mg/dL)	204.98(42.24)
CRP (mg/dL)	0.57(0.96)
Vitamin D (ng/mL)	21.65(9.76)
α-carotene (ug/dL)	4.73(6.95)
Trans-β-carotene (ug/dL)	20.97(21.48)
Cis-β-carotene (ug/dL)	1.23(1.23)
β-cryptoxanthin (ug/dL)	11.05(9.71)
γ-tocopherol (ug/dL)	232.60(133.25)
Lutein/zeaxanthin (ug/dL)	16.52(9.16)
Trans-lycopene (ug/dL)	21.58(10.50)
Retinyl palmitate (ug/dL)	2.44(2.71)
Retinyl stearate (ug/dL)	0.49(0.87)
Retinol (ug/dL)	56.14(18.25)
α-tocopherol (ug/dL)	1378.10(653.74)
Categorical variables^†
Non-Hispanic White	1302(52.8)
Smoking
Congestive heart failure	60(2.4)
Coronary heart disease	68(2.8)
Angina/Angina pectoris	79(3.2)
Cancer or malignancy	214 (8.7)

Notes: 1 missing data; *Continuous variables are presented as mean (standard deviation); ^†Categorical variables are presented as number (percentage).

Abbreviations: CRP, C-reactive protein; ALT, alanine aminotransferase.

Figure 1 Flow chart.

Table 2 Associations Between Serum Nutritional Biomarkers and Human Epididymis Protein 4

Variables	Model 1^a β^b (95% CI)	P-value	Model 2^a β^b (95% CI)	P-value	Model 3 β^b (95% CI)	P-value
Vitamin D	0.060(−0.028, 0.149)	0.178	0.023(−0.034, 0.081)	0.423	0.017(−0.040, 0.074)	0.561
α-Carotene	−0.236(−0.361, −0.111)	<0.001	−0.125(−0.207, −0.042)	0.003	−0.102(−0.184, −0.020)	0.014
Trans-β-carotene	−0.067(−0.108, −0.026)	0.001	−0.035(−0.062, −0.008)	0.012	−0.027(−0.054, 0.000)	0.048
Cis-β-carotene	−1.167(−1.886, −0.449)	0.001	−0.635(−1.111, −0.159)	0.009	−0.506(−0.980, −0.033)	0.036
β-cryptoxanthin	−0.142(−0.234, −0.051)	0.002	−0.041(−0.101, 0.020)	0.192	−0.004(−0.065, 0.058)	0.909
γ-tocopherol	0.009(0.003, 0.015)	0.006	0.001(−0.004, 0.005)	0.696	0.000(−0.004, 0.005)	0.905
Lutein/zeaxanthin	−0.182(−0.277, −0.087)	<0.001	−0.050(−0.116, 0.016)	0.137	−0.023(−0.089, 0.043)	0.493
Trans-lycopene	−0.185(−0.269, −0.101)	0.000	−0.131(−0.190, −0.072)	<0.001	−0.131(−0.190, −0.073)	0.000
Retinyl palmitate	0.140(−0.467, 0.187)	0.402	−0.087(−0.302, 0.128)	0.429	−0.063(−0.277, 0.150)	0.560
Retinyl stearate	−0.055(−1.067, 0.957)	0.915	−0.051(−0.707, 0.606)	0.880	−0.019(−0.669, 0.631)	0.955
Retinol	0.297(0.247, 0.347)	<0.001	−0.043(−0.079, −0.007)	0.020	−0.054(−0.090, −0.018)	0.004
α-tocopherol	0.002(0.000, 0.003)	0.013	0.000(−0.001, 0.001)	0.593	0.001(−0.001, 0.002)	0.347

Notes: ^aAdjusted covariates, Model 1: age + race; Model 2: Model 1 + Cholesterol + Cr + ALT + CRP; Model 3: Model 2 + History of smoking + History of heart disease + History of cancer; ^bβ coefficients was interpreted as change of log-transformed human epididymal secretory protein (pM) for each increase in different serum nutritional biomarkers.

Abbreviations: CRP, C-reactive protein; ALT, alanine aminotransferase.

Figure 2 Associations between serum nutritional biomarkers and human epididymis protein 4.

Table 3 Association Between Quartiles of Serum Nutritional Biomarkers and Human Epididymis Protein 4

		Q2 vs Q1		Q3 vs Q1		Q4 vs Q1		P for Trend
		β(95% CI)	P value	β(95% CI)	P value	β(95% CI)	P value
α-Carotene (ug/dL)	Model 1	−5.179(−7.620,-2.739)	<0.001	−2.396(−4.009,-0.782)	0.004	−1.965(−3.573,-0.357)	0.017	<0.001
	Model 2	−4.660(−7.073,-2.247)	<0.001	−2.469(−4.077,-0.861)	0.003	−1.795(−3.405,-0.184)	0.029	<0.001
	Model 3	−7.421(−9.874,-4.967)	<0.001	−4.204(−5.857,-2.52)	<0.001	−3.390(−5.053,-1.727)	<0.001	<0.001
Trans-β-carotene (ug/dL)	Model 1	−1.746(−4.168,0.677)	0.479	−0.454(−2.045,1.136)	0.576	−0.105(−1.685,1.475)	0.896	0.019
	Model 2	−0.701(−3.146,1.744)	0.158	−0.109(−1.732,1.513)	0.895	0.367(−1.248,1.983)	0.656	0.108
	Model 3	−3.512(−6.007,-1.017)	0.574	−1.569(−3.240,0.102)	0.066	−0.911(−2.581,0.759)	0.285	0.403
Cis-β-carotene (ug/dL)	Model 1	−0.705(−3.609,2.200)	0.634	−0.220(−2.119,1.678)	0.820	0.351(−1.537,2.240)	0.715	0.077
	Model 2	−0.075(−2.332,2.183)	0.948	1.161(−0.329,2.652)	0.127	1.588(0.104,3.072)	0.036	0.324
	Model 3	−2.423(−4.687,-0.160)	0.036	−1.355(−2.871,0.162)	0.080	−0.743(−2.260,0.773)	0.337	0.844
Trans-lycopene (ug/dL)	Model 1	−4.605(−7.049,-2.161)	<0.001	−3.877(−5.474,-2.281)	<0.001	−3.948(−5.530,-2.366)	<0.001	<0.001
	Model 2	−6.033(−8.499,-3.567)	<0.001	−4.291(−5.922,-2.660)	<0.001	−4.328(−5.948,-2.708)	<0.001	<0.001
	Model 3	−5.681(−8.161,-3.201)	<0.001	−4.042(−5.741,-2.343)	<0.001	−4.036(−5.722,-2.351)	<0.001	<0.001
Retinol (ug/dL)	Model 1	−1.263 (−3.688,1.161)	0.307	−2.686(−4.280,-1.092)	0.001	−2.867(−4.446,-1.289)	<0.001	<0.001
	Model 2	−1.032(−3.522,1.485)	0.416	−3.774(−5.421,-2.127)	<0.001	−4.146(−5.782,-2.511)	<0.001	<0.001
	Model 3	5.691(3.077,8.304)	<0.001	−3.710(−5.474,-1.947)	<0.001	−4.146(−5.899,-2.393)	<0.001	<0.001

Notes: Adjusted covariates, Model 1: age + race; Model 2: Model 1 + Cholesterol + Cr + ALT + CRP; Model 3: Model 2 + History of smoking + History of heart disease + History of cancer; Independent variables, α-carotene, trans-β-carotene, cis-α-carotene, trans-lycopene and Retinol (ug/dL); Dependent variables, human epididymal secretory protein (Log pM).

Abbreviations: Q1, quartile 1; Q2, quartile 2; Q3, quartile 3; Q4, quartile 4; CRP, C-reactive protein; ALT, alanine aminotransferase.