Predictors of Immunosuppressive Regulatory T Lymphocytes in Healthy Women
Table 1
Mean regulatory T-cell (Treg) levels across categories of demographic, lifestyle, diet, medication use, and reproductive characteristics of 75 healthy women at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA, 2008-2009.
Variable
Sample (%) or mean (STD)
Treg levels mean (STD)
value
Demographic characteristics
Age (Years)
57.56 (11.93)
Age 60 years
41 (54.67)
2.39 (1.20)
Age > 60 years
34 (45.33)
2.95 (1.43)
*0.10
Race
White
73 (97.33)
Black
2 (2.67)
Body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2)
28.44 (6.06)
BMI (kg/mm2)
18–24
26 (35.14)
2.22 (0.96)
**
0.02
25–29
21 (28.38)
3.33 (1.56)
30 or more
27 (36.49)
2.44 (1.24)
Education
Less than or equal to high school
19 (25.33)
3.37 (1.20)
*
0.003
Greater than high school
56 (74.67)
2.40 (1.28)
Health insurance
Medicaid/Medicare
10 (16.13)
3.26 (1.72)
*0.21
Employer-sponsored
52 (83.87)
2.44 (1.06)
Marital status
Married/living as married
52 (69.33)
2.60 (1.35)
**0.51
Widowed/separated/divorced
17 (22.67)
2.88 (1.23)
Single
6 (8.00)
2.35 (1.55)
Household income (per annum)
$24,999
11 (16.42)
3.06 (1.56)
**0.47
$25,000 to $74,499
44 (65.67)
2.51 (1.20)
$75,000 +
12 (17.91)
2.41 (1.02)
Lifestyle
Smoking
Never
38 (50.67)
2.29 (1.24)
*
0.01
Ever
37 (49.33)
3.00 (1.33)
Alcohol (frequency per month)
12.30 (18.91)
Exercise
None
24 (32.00)
3.04 (1.36)
**
0.04
1-2 days per week
25 (33.33)
2.82 (1.49)
3 or more days per week
26 (34.67)
2.10 (0.95)
Reproductive characteristics
Menopausal status
Premenopausal
28 (37.33)
2.25 (0.95)
*0.10
Postmenopausal
47 (62.67)
2.88 (1.47)
Age at first birth
24 years
37 (59.68)
2.90 (1.19)
>24 years
25 (40.32)
2.12 (1.08)
*
0.01
Age at menarche
13 or younger
54 (73.97)
2.75 (1.43)
14 or greater
19 (26.03)
2.35 (1.05)
*0.35
Ever used oral contraceptives
No
23 (30.67)
3.13 (1.72)
*0.16
Yes
52 (69.33)
2.43 (1.06)
Ever used HRT
No
59 (78.67)
2.46 (1.18)
*
0.05
Yes
16 (21.33)
3.31 (1.64)
Ever given birth
No
13 (17.33)
2.93 (1.84)
*0.61
Yes
62 (82.67)
2.58 (1.20)
Ever breast fed
No
32 (51.61)
2.82 (1.25)
*0.18
Yes
30 (48.39)
2.32 (1.12)
Family history
No
64 (85.33)
2.59 (1.24)
*0.49
Yes
11 (14.67)
2.92 (1.78)
Multivitamins
No
18 (28.57)
2.89 (1.65)
*0.76
Yes
45 (71.43)
2.64 (1.27)
Ibuprofen
Never
21 (28.0)
3.23 (1.53)
Ever
54 (72.0)
2.41 (1.18)
*
0.03
Osteoporosis medication
Never
62 (82.67)
2.44 (1.11)
*
0.03
Ever
13(17.33)
3.61 (1.83)
Acetaminophen use
Never
12 (16.0)
3.10 (1.78)
*0.43
Ever
63 (84.0)
2.55 (1.22)
Aspirin use
Never
17 (22.67)
2.19 (1.06)
Ever
58 (77.33)
2.77 (1.37)
*0.09
Prednisone use
Never
60 (81.08)
2.71 (1.39)
*0.85
Ever
14 (18.92)
2.43 (1.07)
Diet
Vegetables
8.92 (8.48)
Vegetables
7 times per week
57 (76.0)
2.78 (1.38)
*0.08
>7 times per week
18 (24.0)
2.2 (1.05)
Fruits
9.11 (9.81)
Fruits
5.5 times per week
40 (53.33)
2.75 (1.31)
*0.30
>5.5 times per week
35 (46.67)
2.52 (1.35)
Treg (% of CD3+)
2.64 (1.33)
Abbreviation: HRT: hormone replacement therapy. value determined using *Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test and **Kruskal-Wallis test of one-way analysis of variance as appropriate, Mean (standard deviation), (%), current intake of vitamin supplements, dietary intake of fruits, and vegetables defined as frequency per week. Exercise was defined as days per week of at least 20 min of exercise currently.
