TABLE 2.

COMPARISON OF CHARACTERISTICS OF PAIRED NASAL AND BRONCHIAL AIRWAY EPITHELIAL CELL CULTURES

	Nasal Cultures	Bronchial Cultures
Success rate	84/103 (81.6%)	46/51 (90.2%)
Median time (range) to P1, d	7 (5–12)	8 (6–21)*
Mean (SD) cell no. at P1	4.3 (1.7) × 105	2.8 (1.7) × 105†
Mean (SD) viability at P1	96.2% (1.3%)	95.4% (2.3%)
Mean (SD) generation time, h‡	26.8 (4.2)	26.6 (4.6)

Paired cultures of nasal and bronchial airway epithelial cells were established in an identical fashion.

^*P < 0.001 (Wilcoxon matched pairs test), bronchial versus nasal cultures.

^†P < 0.001 (Student's paired t test) bronchial versus nasal cultures.

^‡Generation time calculated for four pairs of cultures (P1 = first passage).