Table 1.

Clinical characteristics of patients

Patient number	Age (yr)	Sex	Height (cm)	Type	Severity	Total IgE in serum (IU/ml)	Specific IgE in serum	Complication of allergic disease	PC20-FEV1 (mg/ml)*	Bronchodilator response (%)**	Treatment
											BDP (μg/day)	Theophylline (mg/day)	Clenbuterol (μg/day)	Carbocysteine (mg/day)
1	54	M	161	Int	Moderate	420	-	-	2.5	15.2	800	400	40	0
2	72	F	147	Ext	Moderate	642	Mite, HD	AR	0.31	31.5	800	400	0	0
3	70	M	161	Ext	Mild	312	Mite, HD, Cedar	-	0.08	20.2	0	600	0	0
4	71	F	140	Int	Mild	17	-	-	1.25	17.6	800	0	0	0
5	83	M	154	Ext	Moderate	345	Mite, HD, Cedar	-	5	17.1	800	400	40	1500
6	71	M	165	Ext	Moderate	146	Mite, HD	AR	1.25	15.6	0	0	40	0
7	77	F	144	Int	Mild	51	-	-	0.31	17.9	0	0	0	1500
8	71	M	155	Int	Mild	42	-	-	2.5	29.4	800	0	0	1500
9	80	M	152	Int	Moderate	66	-	-	1.25	39	800	0	0	0
10	75	M	162	Ext	Mild	143	Candida	-	2.5	14.1	800	0	0	0
11	80	F	145	Ext	Mild	3	HD, Cedar	-	0.08	37.1	800	0	0	0
12	63	F	154	Ext	Moderate	77	Cedar	AR	1.25	14.7	800	0	0	0
13	77	F	142	Int	Mild	105	-	-	5	17	0	400	20	0
14	70	M	155	Int	Moderate	82	-	-	0.31	15.4	800	0	0	1500
15	70	F	151	Ext	Mild	467	Mite, HD	-	2.5	20.4	800	400	40	0
16	72	F	150	Int	Mild	57	-	-	5	22.3	600	0	0	1500
17	81	M	163	Int	Moderate	64	-	-	0.31	33.4	800	600	40	1500
18	71	M	150	Int	Moderate	107	-	-	5	16.4	800	400	40	0
19	80	M	160	Int	Mild	87	-	-	2.5	29.5	0	400	0	0
20	68	M	167	Ext	Mild	264	Cedar	-	5	27	0	400	40	0
21	80	F	152	Int	Mild	54	-	-	2.5	17.3	0	400	0	0

Ext, extrinsic; Int. Intrinsic; HD, house dust; AR, allergic rhinitis; UR, urticaria; BDP, beclomethasone diproprionate inhalation.

* PC20-FEV1 shows concentration of inhaled methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV1.

** Bronchodilator response means percent increase in forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1) from the baseline value after inhalation of 300 μg of salbutamol sulfate.

All patients used inhaled β2-agonists (salbutamol or procaterol) on demand.