TABLE 5.
Outcome of subjects with high sputum eosinophil (Eos+) counts after specific inhalation challenge
|
Eos+ (≥2%) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Specific inhalation challenge |
Follow-up |
||||
| Pre (n=15) | Post (n=15) | 2 weeks (n=15) | 3 years (n=13) | 4 years (n=12) | |
| Symptoms, mean ± SD | NP | NP | 5.4±1.3 | 5.6±1.6 | 5.7±1.1 |
| Quality of life score, mean ± SD | NP | NP | 5.5±1.3 | 5.6±1.5 | 5.7±1.0 |
| Daily dose of short-acting beta-2 agonists, mean ± SD | NP | NP | 0.3±0.8 | 0.8±2.0 | 0.7±1.9 |
| Inhaled corticosteroid dose, μg (mean ± SD) | 800.0±676.1 | 800.0±676.1 | 800.0±676.1 | 288.5±593.8 | 175.0±314.2* |
| Subjects taking inhaled corticosteroids, n | 10 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 5 |
| Daily inhaled corticosteroid dose†, μg (mean ± SD) | 1200.0±421.6 | 1200.0±421.6 | 1200.0±421.6 | 937.5±773.9 | 420.0±378.1 |
| Forced expiratory volume in 1 s, % predicted (mean ± SD) | 92.8±14.7 | 90.7±14.0 | 91.9±16.8 | 89.9±16.7 | 89.2±18.6 |
| PC20, mg/mL (median [IQR]) | 4.4 (127.9) | 1.57 (128) | 4.1 (77.9) | 9.9 (127.9) | 9.0 (127.6) |
| PC20 >16 mg/L, n | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Sputum eosinophils, % (median [IQR]) | 5.4 (7.1) | 17.3 (26.0) | 2.5 (3.8) | 1.2(3.0) | 0.5 (1.8) |
| Sputum neutrophils, % (median [IQR]) | 45.9 (42.5) | 36.8 (29.5) | 34.0 (26.4) | 37.5 (27.7) | 29.6 (28.5) |
| Interleukin-5‡, median (IQR) | – | – | 4.0 (15.0) | – | 0.3 (7.7) |
| Interferon-gamma‡, median (IQR) | – | – | 113.3 (951.3) | – | 0.38 (2.86) |
*
P ≤0.05;
†
Daily dose of inhaled corticosteroids in subjects who were taking inhaled corticosteroids;
‡
Interleukin-5 and interferon-gamma are expressed as the ratio (gene of interest/S9gene) ×1000. IQR Interquartile range; NP Not performed; PC20 Provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s