Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of enrolled subjects
| Characteristic | COPD exacerbation | Stable COPD | Control | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | 59 | 61 | 28 | |
| Age, yr | 73.7 ± 8.0 | 70.7 ± 5.6 | 66.8 ± 4.8 | < 0.001 |
| Sex, male:female | 54:5 | 57:4 | 28:0 | 0.297 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 20.5 ± 3.5 | 22.0 ± 3.5 | 23.8 ± 3.2 | < 0.001 |
| Smoking status | 0.106 | |||
| Non-smoker | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ex-smoker | 46 (78.0) | 46 (75.4) | 16 (57.1) | |
| Current smoker | 13 (22.0) | 15 (24.6) | 12 (42.9) | |
| Smoking history, pack-yr | 43.9 ± 20.5 | 38.1 ± 13.7 | NA | 0.074 |
| FEV1, % predicted | 52.3 ± 26.0 | 58.5 ± 21.6 | 93.1 ± 18.7 | < 0.001 |
| FEV1/FVC, % | 46.8 ± 13.1 | 48.1 ± 11.1 | 80.7 ± 9.2 | < 0.001 |
| GOLD stage | NA | 0.032 | ||
| 1 | 8 (13.6) | 10 (16.4) | ||
| 2 | 18 (30.5) | 25 (41.0) | ||
| 3 | 23 (39.0) | 25 (41.0) | ||
| 4 | 10 (16.9) | 1 (1.6) | ||
| Frequency of exacerbation during previous year | 1.7 ± 0.9 | 1.8 ± 2.6 | NA | 0.944 |
| Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio | 12.4 ± 10.6 | 2.4 ± 0.7 | 1.4 ± 0.5 | < 0.001 |
| C-reactive protein, mg/L | 87.5 ± 86.4 | NA | 0.9 ± 1.4 | < 0.001 |
Values are presented as mean ± SD or number (%).
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; NA, not applicable; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FVC, forced vital capacity; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease.