TABLE I. Baseline clinical characteristics.
| Asthma (n = 42) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control (n = 19) | Eosinophilic bronchitis (n = 21) | GINA 1 (n = 17) | GINA 2-4 (n = 15) | Refractory (n = 10) | |
| Age (y) | 36.4 (3.2) | 49.8 (2.6)§ | 45.4 (3.9) | 52.9 (4.4)§ | 47.1 (2.1)‡ |
| Sex (M:F) | 8:11 | 10:11 | 7:10 | 9:6 | 4:6 |
| Atopy (%) | 44.4 | 53.3 | 75 | 70 | 50# |
| Disease duration (y) | NA | 5.0 (1.3) | 12.0 (2.5) | 15.9 (3.9)∥ | 18.0 (5.1)‡∥ |
| Inhaled BDP (μg/24 h) | NA | 200 (84) | 0 | 1067 (122)¶ | 1404 (179)‡¶ |
| Oral prednisolone (number; dose) | NA | 0/21; 0 | 0/10; 0 | 0/15; 0 | 8/10; 12.2 (3.2) |
| Postbronchodilator FEV1 (L) | 3.0 (0.16) | 3.8 (0.26) | 2.9 (0.28) | 2.8 (0.2)∥ | 2.5 (0.25)‡∥ |
| Postbronchodilator FEV1 % | 105.5 (2.6) | 99.6 (2.9) | 96.3 (4.0) | 94.6 (4.6) | 80.7 (6.5)‡§∥ |
| FEV1/FVC postbronchodilator | 85.0 (2.7) | 81.4 (1.2) | 75.4 (2.8) | 76.5 (2.0) | 70.2 (2.8)‡§∥ |
| PC20 (mg/mL)* | >16 | >16 | 0.62 (0.25-1.5) | 0.44 (0.17-1.1) | 0.35 (0.02-5.5)‡ |
| Induced sputum | |||||
| Eosinophils (%)* | 0.33 (0.25-0.43) | 6.9 (3.9-12)§ | 2.0 (0.7-5.2)§ | 1.7 (0.66-4.6)§ | 6.9 (1.2-38.5)‡§ |
| Neutrophils (%) | 52.9 (10.4) | 53.4 (5.5) | 45.6 (7.3) | 55.0 (8.3) | 44.9 (10.0) |
| Lamina propria | |||||
| Mast cells/mm2† | 15.9 (10.1-21.7) | 28.1 (16.0-35.6) | 19.5 (15.7-25.3) | 19.0 (11.2-28.0) | 17.0 (13.2-29.8)‡ |
| Eosinophils/mm2† | 2.3 (1.1-5.4) | 31.7 (18.3-57.7)§ | 20.9 (7.8-38.8)§ | 11.3 (4.9-19.7) | 28.1 (6.6-31.9)‡§ |
| Neutrophils/mm2† | 7.7 (2.1-10.3) | 35.5 (16.8-46)§ | 15.4 (10.6-27.2) | 19.5 (5.4-40.7) | 15.6 (3.2-22.3)‡ |
M, Male; F female; FVC, forced vital capacity; NA, not applicable.
Data expressed as means (SEMs), *geometric mean (95% CI), fmedian (interquartile range).
Beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) equivalents (BDP/24 h): fluticasone 2:1, budesonide 1.25:1, mometasone 1.25:1.
‡
P < .05 1-way ANOVA ; normal vs EB/GINA 1, GINA 2-4, refractory asthma.
§
P < .05 vs control (Bonferroni/Dunn correction for multiple comparisons).
∥
P < .05 vs EB (Bonferroni /Dunn correction for multiple comparisons).
¶
P < .05 vs EB and GINA 1 asthma (Bonferroni /Dunn correction for multiple comparisons).
#
P < .0001 χ2 test.