Table 1.
Clinical characteristics and sputum sample inflammatory characteristics of all participants at baseline
| Neutrophilic asthma (NA) |
Paucigranulocytic asthma (PGA) |
Eosinophilic asthma (EA) |
All asthma | No asthma | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number (% of asthma) | 4 (8%) | 26 (52%) | 20 (40%) | 50 | 39 |
| Sex (female) | 4 (100%) | 17 (68%) | 8 (40%) | 30 (60%) | 27 (69.2%) |
| Age | 60.5 (40.5–64) | 35 (26–47.5) | 33.5 (27–43) | 35.5 (27–51.8) | 37 (27–47) |
| Atopy | 3 (75%) | 21 (80.8%) | 20 (100%) | 44 (88%) | 16 (41%)c |
| ACQ7 | 0.86 (0.25–1.89) | 0.57 (0.29–1.00) | 1.14 (0.86–1.86)a | 0.86 (0.43–1.57) | – |
| FEV1% predicted | 92.70 (84.45–100.9) | 94.30 (85.25–100.4) | 87.25 (79.08–93.90)a | 91.6 (83.5–98.5) | 96.6 (90.5–105.5)c |
| FEV1/ FVC | 0.72 (0.68–0.79) | 0.79 (0.69–0.84) | 0.69 (0.64–0.82)a | 0.71 (0.65, 0.75) | 0.83 (0.77–0.86)c |
| BDR | 3.32 (−0.92–13.88) | 4 (0–6.00) | 13.97 (5.99–19.33)a | 5.9 (2.06–13.75) | 3.0 (1.0–5.0)c |
| FENO (ppb) | 28.35 (18.43–86.5) | 26.65 (18.63–48.5) | 139.5 (95–195.6)ab | 49.5 (22.4–134.5) | 33 (27.3–38.5)c |
| ICS use (%) | 4 (100%) | 18 (72%) | 16 (80%) | 38 (76%) | – |
| TCC/ml | 6.07 (0.8–6.12) | 1.29 (0.73–2.39) | 1.88 (1.2–2.84) | 1.40 (0.92–2.84) | 1.42 (0.90–2.05) |
| Viability %(non-squamous cells) | 80.74 (69.44–88.24) | 65.15 (58.39–74.33) | 68.57 (57–81.3) | 69.38 (59.5–76) | 74.45 (57.5–83) |
| Sputum eosinophils % | 0.12 (0–1.04) | 0.47 (0–1.33) | 5.8 (3.52–11.78)ab | 1.358 (0.24–4.61) | 0 (0–0.25)c |
| Total sputum eosinophils × 104 ml | 1.48 (0–7.89) | 0.65 (0–1.48) | 12.31 (4.88–29.20)a | 1.53 (0.37–8.81) | 0 (0–0.32)c |
| Sputum neutrophils % | 63.14 (61.46–67.47)a | 24.24 (13.02–33.14) | 26.90 (17.43–40.19)b | 27 (17.21–42.82) | 32.1 (19.27–45.43) |
| Total sputum neutrophils ×104 ml | 390.5 (49.03–419.4) | 31.27 (11.18–55.04) | 48.75 (20.79–96.24) | 33.94 (15.7–81.6) | 47.51 (10.90–73.10) |
| Sputum macrophages % | 32.37 (30.46–35.59)a | 68.88 (56.07–77.08)b | 62.25 (48.93–67.97) | 63.95 (49.76–74.58) | 60.49 (45.55–78.44) |
| Total sputum macrophages × 104 ml | 185.2 (28.98–188.5) | 90.14 (46.87–146.2) | 109.7 (67.18–158.7) | 96.80 (53.16–160.6) | 80.94 (41.71–125.9) |
| Sputum lymphocytes% | 2.36 (1.16–3.99) | 1.47 (0.83–2.32) | 2.61 (1.69–4.37)a | 1.94 (0.98–3.14) | 2.12 (1.25–3.45) |
| Total sputum lymphocytes × 104 ml | 5.93 (1.39–18.09) | 1.83 (0.72–2.92) | 4.70 (2.24–8.96)a | 2.37 (1.15–6.24) | 3.15 (1.28–6.22) |
| Sputum IL-8 (ng/ml) | 2.33 (1.47–3.39) | 1.77 (1.01–3.08) | 2.36 (1.52–3.39) | 2.19 (1.26–3.18) | 1.62 (1.66–2.33) |
| Sputum MMP-9 | 1595 (1084–2943) | 528.9 (185.8–1040) | 1063 (374–2126) | 693.7 (374–1363) | 736.7(334.5–1340) |
The first three columns report the characteristics of the asthma phenotypes previously described.[5] No MGA phenotype was detected. NA and PGA combined make up the NEA phenotype described in Results [2]
BDR change in FEV1% predicted post bronchodilator. Median (IQR) or number (%)
Comparing EA, NA and PGA:
aSignificantly different (p < 0.05) than PGA
bSignificantly different (p < 0.05) than NA
Comparing asthma and no asthma:
cSignificantly different (p < 0.05) than asthma