Statistical analysis
Based on previous studies,Continuous variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD) or median (interquartile range) according to data normality, and categorical variables were presented as absolute and relative frequencies. All continuous variables were tested for normality using the Shapiro-Wilks test.Comparisons in the characteristics of continuous variables between groups were performed using the unpaired Student’s t-test (or Mann-Whitney) and paired Student’s t-test for intragroup comparisons. The chi-square (or Fisher’s exact) test was used to compare categorical variables.P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant, and all tests were two-tailed. All statistical analyzes were performed using the software
