Table 1 Characteristics of patients with ALS and control subjects (CTR) in the whole cohort and divided by gender

No. of serum samples

36

52

17

27

19

25

No. of CSF samples

23

12

11

Age (years)

52.8 ± 17.8

57.9 ± 14.1

49.6 ± 19.1

59.1 ± 14.2

55.7 ± 16.6

56.6 ± 14.2

BMI (kg/m²)

22.5 ± 2.5

23.6 ± 3.4

22.6 ± 2.5

23.3 ± 2.6

22.4 ± 2.6

23.8 ± 3.8

Fasting glucose (mg/dl)

88.1 ± 10.9

90.9 ± 13.8

85.5 ± 19.1

87.9 ± 12.8

90.2 ± 12.6

93.5 ± 14.4

Total cholesterol (mg/dl)

192.2 ± 25.5

210 ± 44.6

185.4 ± 23

219.3 ± 42.3^b

199.7 ± 27

201 ± 45.8

HDL (mg/dl)

56.9 ± 17.8

60.4 ± 17.4

60.7 ± 22

69.8 ± 15

53.8 ± 13.2

51.3 ± 14.5^c

LDL (mg/dl)

117.2 ± 39

137.1 ± 37

107.2 ± 23.3

134.9 ± 37.8

127.2 ± 49.6

138.9 ± 37.4

Triglycerides (mg/dl)

94.2 ± 25.3

103.1 ± 29.6

92.0 ± 31.1

97.9 ± 25.8

96.1 ± 19.5

108.1 ± 32.6

GOT (AST) (U/l)

18.2 ± 5.6

25.6 ± 10.6^a

17.5 ± 6.2

22.5 ± 8.3

18.9 ± 5.3^b

28.5 ± 11.9^c,d

GPT (ALT) (U/l)

18.2 ± 9.3

29.90 ± 16.89^a

16.6 ± 6.1

24.3 ± 15.5

19.6 ± 11.5^b

33.1 ± 16.4^c,d

GTP (γ-GT) (U/l)

17 ± 6.5

25.8 ± 21.3

15.2 ± 5.9

18.4 ± 14.6

18.8 ± 6.8

33.6 ± 24.6 ^c,d

White blood cells (n)

6.9 ± 2.2

6.7 ± 1.7

6.8 ± 1.8

6.3 ± 1.7

7 ± 2.6

7 ± 1.7

Lymphocytes (n)

28.9 ± 9.2

28.7 ± 9.8

29.1 ± 11.9

29.5 ± 11.9

28.7 ± 6.4

28.1 ± 7.7