Quality of sweat test (ST) based on the proportion of sweat sodium (Na) and sweat chloride (Cl) as diagnostic parameter of cystic fibrosis: are we on the right way?

Table 2 Comparison between the quality of the sweat test based on the concentrations of sweat chloride and sweat sodium (proposed criteria) and age of subjects examined, as well as the results of the sweat test in view of the sweat chloride concentration obtained in the exam. All subjects had cystic fibrosis and two CFTR mutations Class I, II and/or III

Variable	Group	Number	Mean ± SD	Median	Minimum	Maximum	p-value
Sweat chloride/sodium ratio	Correct	155	1.33 ± 0.24	1.27	1	2.11	<0.001
Sweat chloride/sodium ratio	Incorrect	4	0.94 ± 0.03	0.93	0.9	0.97	<0.001
Sweat chloride values	Correct	155	112.48 ± 19.70	111.61	63.70	159.20	0.047
Sweat chloride values	Incorrect	4	93.34 ± 13.52	94.18	79.61	105.40	0.047
Subject’s age	Correct	133	3.47 ± 5.53	1	0	37.33	0.001
Subject’s age	Incorrect	2	24.13 ± 8.66	24.12	18	30.25	0.001

N number of patients, SD standard deviation, CFTR Cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator. The statistical analysis was performed by the Mann-Whitney test. Alpha = 0.05

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