Table 4.

Comparison of multiple observational data in sputum samples between the three groups evaluated in the 12‐month follow‐up ($\overline{x}$± s)

Observational data	IL‐1β [lg (pg/mL)]	IL‐6 [lg (pg/mL)]	IL‐8 [lg (pg/mL)]	TNF‐α [lg (pg/mL)]	GM‐CSF [lg (pg/mL)]
Group A
At enrolment (n = 90)	3.58 ± 0.48	2.45 ± 0.32	6.78 ± 0.67	1.98 ± 0.21	4.23 ± 0.88
After 3 months (n = 90)	4.26 ± 0.59▽	3.78 ± 0.50▽	5.64 ± 0.46▽	2.45 ± 0.38▽	3.69 ± 0.54▽
After 6 months (n = 90)	5.21 ± 0.76▽	4.11 ± 0.37▽	4.49 ± 0.33▽	1.58 ± 0.24▽	3.34 ± 0.47▽
After 9 months (n = 90)	3.33 ± 0.58▽	3.54 ± 0.47▽	6.23 ± 0.76▽	2.47 ± 0.36▽	2.97 ± 0.32▽
After 1 year (n = 79)	4.76 ± 0.75▽	4.34 ± 0.78▽	8.45 ± 0.77▽	3.08 ± 0.54▽	3.78 ± 0.58▽
Group B1
At enrolment (n = 42)	3.23 ± 0.33▽	2.89 ± 0.45▽	7.05 ± 0.69▽	2.15 ± 0.36▽	3.45 ± 0.56▽
After 3 months (n = 42)	2.67 ± 0.54◆	2.44 ± 0.38◆	5.56 ± 0.54◆	1.23 ± 0.27◆	2.44 ± 0.78◆
After 6 months (n = 42)	4.15 ± 0.67◆	2.67 ± 0.47◆	4.75 ± 0.64◆	2.47 ± 0.38◆	2.23 ± 0.65◆
After 9 months (n = 42)	5.23 ± 0.59◆	3.57 ± 0.65◆	3.56 ± 0.55◆	2.89 ± 0.46◆	3.16 ± 0.89◆
After 1 year (n = 39)	5.57 ± 0.69◆★	4.15 ± 0.80◆★	5.56 ± 0.48◆★	3.16 ± 0.57◆★	4.67 ± 0.76◆★
Group B2
At enrolment (n = 43)	4.17 ± 0.48▽◆	3.05 ± 0.64▽◆	6.54 ± 0.53▽◆	2.34 ± 0.43▽◆	4.13 ± 0.48▽◆
After 3 months (n = 43)	6.23 ± 0.57■	3.78 ± 0.58■	8.22 ± 1.28■	3.56 ± 0.67■	6.55 ± 0.68■
After 6 months (n = 43)	7.26 ± 0.56■	5.45 ± 0.47■	10.57 ± 1.98■	5.45 ± 0.89■	7.55 ± 0.89■
After 9 months (n = 43)	8.65 ± 0.64□	7.55 ± 0.69□	12.57 ± 2.64□	7.54 ± 1.63□	9.51 ± 1.26□
After 1 year (n = 38)	11.25 ± 0.87□☆*	9.45 ± 1.12□☆*	15.68 ± 3.06□☆*	10.35 ± 2.67□☆*	12.56 ± 2.64□☆*

Compared with group A at enrolment, ^▵ P < 0.05, ^▽ P > 0.05; compared with group B₁ at enrolment, ^◇ P < 0.05, ^◆ P > 0.05; compared with group B₂ at enrolment, ^□ P < 0.05, ^■ P > 0.05; compared with group A after the 1‐year follow‐up, ^☆ P < 0.05, ^★ P > 0.05; compared with group B₁ after the 1‐year follow‐up, *P < 0.05.