Table 1.
Patient baseline characteristics at time of sputum induction grouped for sputum eosinophilia.
| >3% sputum eo | <3% sputum eo | P-value* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 13 | 8 | n.a. |
| Gender, male/female | 9/4 | 4/4 | 0·88 |
| Age (years) | 45 (19–66) | 47 (25–54) | 0·45 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 27 (22–35) | 27 (22–32) | 0·885 |
| FeNO (ppb) | 32 (16–215) | 23 (12–42) | 0·09 |
| ACQ score | 2·3 (0·0–4·4) | 1·3 (0·14–2·0) | 0·035 |
| Blood eosinophil count (109/ml) | 0·68 (0·1–1·2) | 0·18 (0·0–0·5) | 0·007 |
| Medication† | 4 (3–5) | 3·5 (0–4) | 0·09 |
| FEV1 (l) | 2·4 (1·5–3·9) | 3·5 (2·3–4·0) | 0·053 |
| FEV1 (% predicted) | 76 (61–105) | 89 (61–113) | 0·16 |
| Reversibility FEV1‡ | 0·47 (0·0–16·6) | 0·43 (0·0–4·9) | 0·46 |
| Sputum eosinophils (%)§ | 29 (3–82) | 0 (0–1) | n.a. |
| Sputum neutrophils (%)§ | 39 (10–77) | 49 (19–83) | 0·41 |
Values are medians ± range unless indicated otherwise.
Based on Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test or Fisher's exact test where appropriate.
5-point ordinal scale based on guidelines of the British Thoracic Society, with (0) no medication, (1) inhaled short-acting beta agonist (SABA) when required, (2) low-dose ICS + SABA, (3) low/medium-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) + long-acting beta agonist (LABA), or medium-dose ICS + LABA, (4) high-dose ICS ± LABA and leucotriene receptor antagonist test and (5) high-dose ICS + oral corticosteroids (OCS) ± LABA.
Percentage reversibility in FEV1 (corrected for age, gender, length and body weight) after inhalation of 2 × 100 μg salbutamol.
As determined by microscopic evaluation. BMI = body mass index; FeNO = forced exhaled nitric oxide; ACQ = asthma control questionnaire; FEV1 = forced expiratory volume in 1 s; n.a. = not applicable; eo = eosinophil; ppb = parts per billion.