Table I.
Clinical characteristics of asthmatic and nonasthmatic subjects.
| Characteristic | Nonasthmatic | Asthmatic | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| n | 7 | 11 | |
| Age (yr) | 26.3 ± 4.0 | 31.8 ± 2.4 | 0.222 |
| Gender (%M\%F) | 43\57 | 36\64 | 0.335 |
| Atopy (%, n) | 71, 5 | 82, 9 | 1.0 |
| IgE (lu/ml) | 65.8 ± 41.4 | 402.5 ± 111.8 | 0.011 |
| FEV1 (L) | 3.9 ± 0.35 | 3.0 ± 0.26 | 0.061 |
| FEV1 (%pred) | 102.6 ± 3.7 | 85.1 ± 3.8 | 0.007 |
| Max. FEV1 post-BD | 4.0 ± 0.4 | 3.4 ± 0.3 | 0.190 |
| %change FEV1 post-BD | 3.5 ± 1.3 | 14.3 ± 3.4 | 0.011 |
| PC20(mg/ml) | >16 | 1.6 ± 0.5 | < 0.0001 |
| % ICS (%, n) | 0, 0 | 45, 5 |
Values are presented as means ± SEM, and p values are based on Fisher's exact test for gender and atopy comparisons or unpaired t-test for other comparisons. The characteristics for the total group of nonasthmatics and asthmatics was not significantly different for the subsets of nonasthmatics (n=6) and asthmatics (n=8 and 9) used for analysis of RSV inoculations.
BD: Bronchodilator.
FEV1: Forced Expiratory Volume in one second; ICS, Inhaled corticosteroid; PC20: Provocative concentration of methacholine that causes a 20% decrease in FEV1.