Table 1. Demographic characteristics and laboratory findings of the subjects.
| Characteristics | Exacerbated state | Stable state | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of cases* | 259 | 64 | - |
| Age (year) | 56.30±0.90 | 56.45±2.10 | 0.946 |
| Sex (male, %) | 32.4 | 20.3 | 0.058 |
| Smoking status (NS/ES/SM) | 189/34/36 | 47/8/9 | 0.991 |
| Smoking amount (pack-years) | 5.42±0.80 | 5.48±1.64 | 0.971 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.35±0.25 | 21.57±0.88 | 0.003 |
| Atopy (Y, %) | 38.20 | 45.30 | 0.467 |
| IgE (IU/mL) | 460.65±54.00 | 203.98±39.32 | <0.001 |
| Blood eosinophils (%) | 4.04±0.39 | 1.78±0.56* | 0.001 |
| FVC (% predicted) | 67.74±0.99 (238) | 86.32±1.95 (60) | <0.001 |
| FEV1(% predicted) | 61.16±1.23 (238) | 86.57±3.27 (60) | <0.001 |
| FEV1/FVC ratio (%) | 65.72±0.80 (236) | 74.32±1.52 (59) | <0.001 |
| Sputum | |||
| Total cell number (×105/mL) | 7.52±1.13 (91) | 4.24±1.22 (21) | 0.053 |
| Macrophages (%) | 10.72±1.46 (85) | 14.59±4.76 (19) | 0.446 |
| Neutrophils (%) | 74.04±2.65 (85) | 80.91±4.84 (19) | 0.223 |
| Eosinophils (%) | 13.60±2.24 (85) | 4.50±2.61 (19) | 0.011 |
| Lymphocytes (%) | 0.69±0.27 (85) | 0±0 (19) | 0.012 |
| Columnar cells (%) | 0.95±0.39 (85) | 0±0 (19) | 0.018 |
Data are presented as means±SE; numbers in parentheses are the numbers of cases; P values were calculated by Pearson's χ2 test and independent t test for discrete and continuous variables, respectively.
NS, non-smoker; ES, ex-smoker; SM, smoker; BMI, body mass index; Y, yes; IgE, immunoglobulin E; FVC, forced vital capacity; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; SE, standard error.
*A total of 259 patients were enrolled: 210 underwent a single sputum examination and 49 underwent 2 to 4 sputum examinations, for a total of 323 examinations. Number of cases is the number of cases of exacerbated and stable asthma in subjects with lower respiratory tract infections.