Table 2 Ratio of stained growth factor to vessel numbers in airway biopsy specimens before and after treatment with ICS or placebo.
| Mean vessel staining (pre‐ICS) | Mean vessel staining (post‐ICS) | Significance of ICS treatment change vs placebo | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICS (%) | Placebo (%) | ICS (%) | Placebo (%) | ||
| VEGF | 100 (12) | 100 (17) | 75 (9) | 85 (13) | NS |
| VEGFR1 | 65 (8) | 70 (11) | 100 (10) | 86 (9) | NS |
| VEGFR2 | 42 (9) | 55 (13) | 100 (14) | 67 (8) | NS (p = 0.09) |
| Ang1 | 68 (3) | 74 (7) | 100 (5) | 72 (8) | NS (p = 0.07) |
ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; VEGFR1, VEGFR2, vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1 and 2; An1, angiopoietin‐1.
VEGF staining at baseline was normalised to 100% and receptor staining is given as a percentage of the respective vessels counted.