Table 1.
Patient characteristics and their differences.
| Patients’ characteristics | Healthy controls | MA | SA | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number under study | 15 | 16 | 16 | |
| Age (years) (medians and range) | 46 (17–61) | 60 (36–65) | 59 (47–71) | NS |
| Sex (% female) | 80 | 71.4 | 57.1 | NS |
| Control of asthma (%) | NA | 100 | 14 | 0.002 |
| Exacerbations (number during last year) | NA | 14 | 100 | 0.002 |
| Best FEV1 (% and predicted) | 100 (100–122) | 100 (76.4–109) | 70 (60.4–85) | 0.01 |
| Blood eosinophils/mm3 (medians and range) | 150 (130–200) | 110 (36–190) | 180 (40–1,290) | NS |
| Allergy (%) | 0 | 28.6 | 57.1 | NS |
| Sinusitis (%) | 40 | 71.4 | 85.7 | NS |
| Bronchorrhea (%) | 0 | 42.8 | 57.1 | NS |
| GERD (%) | 40 | 42.8 | 57.1 | NS |
| Comorbid condition, ≥1 (%) | 20 | 42.8 | 57.1 | NS |
| ICS (%) | NA | 42.8 | 100 | 0.03 |
| LAβ2 (%) | NA | 42.8 | 100 | 0.03 |
| SAβ2 (%) | NA | 71.4 | 100 | NS |
| OCS (%) | NA | 0 | 57.1 | 0.01 |
Differences between two groups were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test, and differences among the three groups were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test, followed by a post hoc Bonferonni analysis. The χ2 test was used to evaluate dichotomous characteristics of patients.
NA, non-applicable; NS, non-significant.