Table 1.
Demographic, clinical and laboratory data of study subjects.
| Characteristics | Asthma patients n = 22 | Healthy subjects n = 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 32.0 ± 1.9 | 27.7 ± 1.2 |
| Gender (M/F), n | 16/6 | 10/7 |
| FEV1 (L) | 3.71 ± 0.17 | 3.93 ± 0.19 |
| FEV1(% of predicted) | 104.6 ± 2.55 | 101.1 ± 1.9 |
| Wheal diameter induced by allergen (mm) | 4.53 ± 1.4 | 0 |
| PD20 (mg) | 0.05# | NR |
| Blood eosinophil count (× 109/L) | 0.32 ± 0.04* | 0.14 ± 0.02 |
| Sputum eosinophil count (× 109/L) | 0.10 ± 0.02* | 0.03 ± 0.004 |
F, female; M, male; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; PD20, the provocation dose of methacholine causing a 20% decrease in FEV1; NR, not responded. Data presented as Mean ± standard error of the mean.
*
p < 0.01 comparing with healthy subjects peripheral eosinophils count.
#
geometric mean.