Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of study subjects
| Healthy | Non-severe Asthma | Severe Asthma | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 12 | 9 | 13 |
| Age, years | 39.8 ± 2.5 | 52.6 ± 4.2 | 54.4 ± 3.8* |
| Gender, Female/Male | 6/6 | 7/2 | 11/2 |
| Inhaled corticosteroid dose, μg BDP equivalent | 0 | 150.0 ± 105.2 | 2000 ± 258.2**## |
| Atopy (n) | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Receiving oral corticosteroids | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Pre-bronchodilator FEV1 (L) | 3.4 ± 0.2 | 2.2 ± 0.3 | 1.5 ± 0.2*** |
| Pre-bronchodilator FEV1 of predicted value (%) | 94.9 ± 2.5 | 82.3 ± 5.5 | 61.0 ± 5.5*** |
| FEV1/FVC (%) | 88.2 ± 2.3 | 69.5 ± 2.0 | 64.5 ± 3.1*** |
Data are expressed as mean ± SEM
BDP beclomethasone dipropionate, FEV1 forced expiratory volume in 1 s, FVC forced vital capacity
* p < 0.05, *** p < 0.001 compared to healthy subjects. ## p < 0.01 compared to patients with non-severe asthma