Table 1

Patient characteristics

Discovery cohort (n=39)Validation cohort 1 (n=395)Validation cohort 2 (n=1000)
SCADUCADControlSCADUCADControlSCADUCADSubA
N142519213964250250250250
Age, years±SD61.5±10.462.8±10.146.5±7.365.2±11.6*66.4±11.8*46.0±7.751.2±9.8*62.1±13.3*†53.7±9.8*†‡
Gender, male, n (%)10 (71)18 (72)61 (32)89 (64)*41 (64)*83 (33)188 (75)*177 (71)*125 (50)*†‡
BMI, kg/m2, n (%)24.9±2.226.1±3.427.1±427.1±426.9±3.926.5±4.527.7±4.527.0±4.326.9±6.9
Diabetes, n (%)2 (14)2 (8)6 (3)31 (22)*12 (19)*4 (2)34 (14)*32 (13)*32 (13)*
Hypertension, n (%)3 (21)12 (48)38 (20)86 (62)*32 (50) *54 (22)98 (39)*86 (34)*110 (44)*‡
Current smoker, n (%)3 (21)9 (36)42 (22)37 (27)19 (30)49 (20)56 (22)101 (40)*†54 (22)‡
Hypercholesterolaemia, n (%)5 (36)8 (32)49 (26)54 (39)*21 (33)57 (23)90 (36)*54 (22)†86 (35)*‡
Glucose, mmol/L5.2±0.56.3±4.9*8.5±3.3* †5.9±4.0 ‡
History of
 MI, n (%)5 (36)5 (20)051 (37)*26 (41)*169 (68)35 (14)†
 PCI, n (%)1 (7)4 (16)052 (37)*20 (31)*61 (24)24(10)†
 CABG, n (%)2 (14)009 (6)*6 (9)*20 (8)5 (2)†
Type of disease (acute phase)
 SAP, n (%)14 (100)0†139 (100)0†0 (0)
 UAP, n (%)00059 (92)†0 (0)
 NSTEMI, n (%)0005 (8)†0 (0)
 STEMI, n (%)025 (100)†00250 (100)
Lipid profile
ALAT (U/L)22.8±1.530.54±1.6*22.3±1.9†25.1±1.5†‡
GGT (U/L)23.0±1.835.5±1.9*34.9±1.6*27.7±1.7*†‡
Total cholesterol (mmol/L)5.24 (1.95–9.7)4.30 (2.32–8.20)*5.30 (1.90–9.30) †5.60 (2.79–8.80)† ‡
Triglyceride (mmol/L)1.10 (0.20–8.90)1.29 (0.43–8.00)0.90 (0.30–4.70)†1.20 (0.44–5.80) ‡
HDL cholesterol (mmol/L)1.40 (0.78–2.90)1.21 (0.60–2.40)*1.03 (0.53–2.09)*†1.39 (0.50–3.52)†‡
LDL cholesterol (mmol/L)3.22 (1.29–7.53)2.39 (0.41–5.60)*3.70 (0.72–7.49)*†3.59 (1.08–6.57)†‡
  • All values are given as mean±SD for continuous variables and median for lipid profile or as absolute number (percentage) for dichotomous variable. P values were obtained using ANOVA with post hoc T-tests for numerical values, Kruskal-Wallis test for median and χ2 tests were performed for dichotomous and categorical variables.

  • *P<0.05 compared with control.

  • †P<0.05 compared with SCAD.

  • ‡P<0.05 compared with UCAD.

  • ALAT, alanine aminotransferase; ANOVA, analysis of variance; BMI, body mass index; CABG, coronary artery bypass graft; CV medication, cardiovascular medication (ie, aspirin, beta-blocker, calcium antagonist, nitrates, ACE-inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blocker or statins); GGT, gamma-glutamyltransferase; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; MI, myocardial infarction; NSTEMI, non- ST-elevation myocardial infarction; PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention; SAP, stable angina pectoris; SCAD, stable coronary artery disease; STEMI, ST-elevation myocardial infarction; UAP, unstable angina pectoris; UCAD, unstable coronary artery disease.