Table 1. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study population.

	Controls = 15	Mild intermittent asthmatics = 19	Mild persistent asthmatics = 8	P value
Caucasic race	15	19	8
Gender (M/F)	8/7	8/11	4/4	n.s.
Age (years) 50 (25–75) Percentiles	38 (26–45)	27 (19–37)	32.5 (27.5–36.5)	n.s.
FEV1 % of predicted Percentiles	112 (108–119)	99 (93–108)	90.5 (85.5–95.5)	n.s.
FEV1 (PRE), L Percentiles	3.8 (2.97–4.07)	3.40 (2.9–3.9)	3.45 (3.05–4.2)	n.s
FEV1 (POST), L Percentiles	-	3.76 (3.25–4.34)	4.12 (3.44–4.74)	n.s.
Bronchodilation test- Reversibility (%) Percentiles	-	15 (13–16)	15 (13.5–15.5)	n.s.
Parietaria judaica+	-	7/19	3/8
Olea+	-	4/19	2/8
Cat+	-	3/19	1/8
Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus+	-	8/19	4/8
Dermatophagoides Farinae +	-	8/19	4/8
CD4+ cells (%)	44.3±4	50.5±6*	51.7±4.5*	<0.05
CD4+/CD25+ cells (%)	3.5±0.7	4.4±1.6	5±1.9	n.s.
CD4/CD25- cells (%)	40.8±4	46±6*	46.4±3.6*	<0.05

^*Mann Whitney versus controls.