Lower blood malondialdehyde is associated with past pesticide exposure: findings in Gulf War illness and healthy controls

Table 4 MDA₁ difference in case versus control

	All (n = 80)	1st test-set (n = 40)	2nd test-set (n = 40)	P value 1st versus 2nd test-set
MDA₁ (µmol/L, mean ± SD)^a
Combined case + Control	−2.9 ± 8.5	−4.6 ± 6.3	−1.1 ± 10.0	0.064
Cases	−5.7 ± 8.4	−6.4 ± 6.1	−5.1 ± 10.0	0.63
Controls	4.9e−06 ± 7.7	−2.9 ± 6.1	2.9 ± 8.2	0.016
P value	0.0021	0.076	0.011	–

Case minus control values. Values are negative because MDA was lower in cases than in controls
^aMDA₁ is the departure of MDA from values predicted by time-to-test variables and constant—that is, MDA₁ captures the variation in MDA that cannot be ascribed to time-to-test. In regression with robust SE, MDA₁ was significantly negatively predicted by case status: case beta = −5.7 (SE = 1.80), P = 0.002. The first-set (batch) evaluated MDA in the first 20 case–control pairs. The second-set (batch) evaluated the remaining participants
SD standard deviation, MDA malondialdehyde, MDA₁ departure of measured MDA from predicted MDA, – No data

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