Statistical analyses
Continuous variables were summarized using descriptive statistics presented as mean and standard deviation (SD). Categorical variables were summarized using counts and percentages. Categorical data were analyzed using the Chi-square (χ2) test or Fisher exact test appropriately. Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis ANOVA were used for comparing groups.
The results were evaluated at a 95% confidence interval, and p <0.05 was considered statistically significant. All statistical analyses were performed using software (Prism; GraphPad Software, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA).