Qualitative variables were expressed as percentages or absolute numbers. Mean value (± Standard Deviation, SD) was used when result distribution was normal; otherwise, median and interquartile ranges (IQR) were preferred. The χ2 or Fisher’s exact tests were used to analyze categorical variables. Student’s t-test or Mann–Witney U-test was used for continuous variables with or without normal distribution, respectively. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Analysis was performed with SPSS software (IBM, Chicago, USA).
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