Table 1.
Clinical characteristics and sample collection data of the four study groups
| Control | Asthma | COPD | ACOS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of patients (n) | 21 | 44 | 21 | 20 |
| Female/male | 12/9 | 36/8 | 10/11 | 12/8 |
| Age (years) | 38.00±3.34 | 44.84±2.38 | 66.33±2.63 | 65.45±1.86 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | – | 26.80±1.31 | 24.33±0.95 | 29.12±1.45 |
| Smoking habits, n (%) | ||||
| Current smoker | 0 (0) | 1 (2.25) | 4 (19) | 5 (25) |
| Ex-smoker | 1 (4.75) | 2 (4.5) | 15 (71.25) | 14 (70) |
| Never-smoker | 20 (95) | 41 (93.25) | 2 (9.5) | 1 (5) |
| GOLD category, n (%) | – | – | II–IV | I–IV |
| A | 0 (0) | 3 (15) | ||
| B | 2 (9.5) | 9 (45) | ||
| C | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||
| D | 19 (90.5) | 8 (40) | ||
| Allergic rhinitis or atopic nature, n (%) | 0 (0) | 34 (77) | 0 (0) | 10 (50) |
| Number of comorbidities, mean [range] | 0 [0] | 0.34 [0–4]a | 2.19 [0–4] | 0.70 [0–2] |
| Sample collected in summer season, n (%) | 2 (9.5) | 3 (6.75) | 5 (24) | 0 (0) |
Notes: Data expressed as mean ± SEM if not stated otherwise.
a
Only one asthmatic patient had four comorbidities.
Abbreviations: ACOS, asthma–COPD overlap syndrome; BMI, body mass index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; SEM, standard error of mean.