Table 2.
Characteristic based on SEA/SEB sensitization.
| Characteristic | SEA/SEB positive (n = 43, 11.1%) | SEA/SEB negative (n = 345, 88.9%) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years (range) | 53.6 (17–79) | 46.5 (8–87) | 0.003 |
| Sex, n (%) | 0.000 | ||
| Male | 40 (93.0) | 231 (67.0) | |
| Female | 3 (7.0) | 114 (33.0) | |
| Current smoker, n (%) | 19 (44.2) | 79 (22.9) | 0.002 |
| Asthma history, n (%) | 6 (14.0) | 37 (10.7) | 0.525 |
| Serum neutrophil, % (SD) | 58.58 (9.86) | 57.27 (10.34) | 0.431 |
| Serum eosinophil, % (SD) | 4.13 (3.02) | 3.02 (2.44) | 0.025 |
| Total IgE, kU/L (SD) | 184.03 (58.53) | 100.44 (66.78) | 0.000 |
| Olfactory function test (%) | 0.017 | ||
| Normosmia | 4 (9.3) | 90 (26.1) | |
| Hyposmia | 22 (51.2) | 173 (50.1) | |
| Anosmia | 17 (39.5) | 82 (23.8) | |
| Olfactory function test scores (SD) | 15.33 (5.24) | 17.61 (5.79) | 0.014 |
| Threshold score | 2.00 (1.43) | 2.63 (2.01) | 0.012 |
| Discrimination score | 4.95 (2.39) | 5.54 (2.42) | 0.133 |
| Identification score | 8.37 (3.27) | 9.44 (3.21) | 0.041 |
| Taste function test (%) | 0.259 | ||
| Normogeusia | 25 (58.1) | 239 (69.3) | |
| Hypogeusia | 15 (34.9) | 94 (27.2) | |
| Aguesia | 3 (7.0) | 12 (3.5) | |
| Taste function test scores (SD) | 11.84 (5.31) | 13.72 (4.79) | 0.017 |
SEA Staphylococcus enterotoxin A, SEB Staphylococcus enterotoxin B.
Bold text indicates statistical significance (p < 0.05).