Table III.
Change in clinical characteristics and mediators between stable and exacerbation states within each identified exacerbation biologic cluster
| Cluster 1 (n = 34) |
Cluster 2 (n = 27) |
Cluster 3 (n = 44) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P value | P value | P value | ||||
| Pre-FEV1 (L)∗ | −0.14 (0.04) | .004↓ | −0.19 (0.06) | .006↓ | −0.12 (0.04) | .003↓ |
| Post-FEV1 (L)∗ | −0.14 (0.05) | .004↓ | −0.10 (0.04) | .038↓ | −0.24 (0.04) | <.0001↓ |
| Pre-FEV1 (% predicted)∗ | −6.22 (1.81) | .002↓ | −7.80 (2.41) | .004↓ | −4.37 (1.39) | .003↓ |
| Post-FEV1 (% predicted)∗ | −6.15 (1.84) | .002↓ | −3.49 (1.45) | .028↓ | −8.24 (1.36) | <.0001↓ |
| Pre-FEV1/FVC ratio (%)∗ | 1.22 (1.86) | .52 | 3.59 (1.47) | .024↑ | 1.80 (1.83) | .33 |
| VAS score, cough (mm)∗ | 17.38 (5.00) | .002↑ | 33.92 (5.97) | <.0001↑ | 27.19 (4.14) | <.0001↑ |
| VAS score, dyspnea (mm)∗ | 14.52 (5.35) | .011↑ | 37.15 (6.12) | <.0001↑ | 23.65 (3.63) | <.0001↑ |
| Blood neutrophils (× 109/L)∗ | 2.03 (0.52) | .0004↑ | 0.77 (0.40) | .062 | 0.60 (0.37) | .11 |
| Blood eosinophils (× 109/L) | 0.69 (0.47-1.02) | .06 | 1.10 (0.77-1.58) | .58 | 0.60 (0.42-0.88) | .009↓ |
| TCC (× 106 cells/g sputum) | 3.49 (2.10-5.79) | <.0001↑ | 1.27 (0.74-2.16) | .37 | 1.67 (0.94-2.99) | .08 |
| Sputum neutrophil count (%)∗ | 15.22 (5.29) | .008↑ | −2.77 (4.63) | .56 | −3.18 (3.92) | .42 |
| Sputum eosinophil count (%) | 0.51 (0.33-0.79) | .004↓ | 2.14 (0.93-4.94) | .074 | 0.68 (0.40-1.16) | .15 |
| IL-1β (pg/mL) | 10.4 (5.2-20.9) | <.0001↑ | 1.42 (0.59-3.38) | .42 | 1.20 (0.72-2.01) | .47 |
| IL-5 (pg/mL) | 0.40 (0.23-0.69) | .002↓ | 2.41 (1.33-4.37) | .006↑ | 0.92 (0.56-1.52) | .74 |
| IL-6 (pg/mL) | 1.48 (0.90-2.42) | .12 | 1.06 (0.59-1.90) | .83 | 2.16 (1.11-4.19) | .025↑ |
| IL-6R (pg/mL) | 2.98 (1.90-4.68) | <.0001↑ | 1.60 (1.09-2.34) | .02↑ | 1.06 (0.72-1.56) | .77 |
| IL-8 (pg/mL) | 1.67 (1.19-2.32) | .004↑ | 1.34 (0.80-2.26) | .25 | 0.82 (0.55-1.23) | .33 |
| IL-10 (pg/mL) | 3.34 (1.96-5.70) | .0001↑ | 0.86 (0.59-1.26) | .43 | 4.09 (2.23-7.49) | <.0001↑ |
| IL-13 (pg/mL) | 0.82 (0.64-1.07) | .14 | 1.05 (0.76-1.44) | .76 | 1.23 (1.06-1.42) | .008↑ |
| CXCL10 (pg/mL) | 0.45 (0.24-0.87) | .019↓ | 1.00 (0.53-1.90) | .99 | 3.78 (2.01-7.10) | .0001↑ |
| CXCL11 (pg/mL) | 0.23 (0.10-0.51) | .0008↓ | 0.89 (0.39-2.06) | .78 | 7.60 (2.68-21.56) | .0003↑ |
| CCL2 (pg/mL) | 0.46 (0.28-0.77) | .004↓ | 0.87 (0.58-1.32) | .49 | 1.71 (1.07-2.74) | .025↑ |
| CCL3 (pg/mL) | 1.07 (0.65-1.77) | .78 | 0.89 (0.42-1.92) | .77 | 1.52 (0.88-2.62) | .13 |
| CCL4 (pg/mL) | 1.06 (0.69-1.64) | .77 | 1.84 (1.04-3.26) | .037↑ | 1.56 (0.89-2.73) | .12 |
| CCL5 (pg/mL) | 1.96 (1.30-2.94) | .002↑ | 1.15 (0.67-1.99) | .59 | 3.01 (1.88-4.82) | <.0001↑ |
| CCL13 (pg/mL) | 0.36 (0.26-0.51) | <.0001↓ | 0.85 (0.57-1.26) | .40 | 0.65 (0.48-0.88) | .007↓ |
| CCL17 (pg/mL) | 0.23 (0.13-0.41) | <.0001↓ | 1.80 (1.08-3.01) | .026↑ | 0.58 (0.40-0.85) | .007↓ |
| CCL26 (pg/mL) | 0.54 (0.34-0.85) | .01↓ | 2.48 (1.57-3.92) | .0004↑ | 1.01 (0.68-1.52) | .95 |
| TNF-α (pg/mL) | 7.92 (4.01-15.62) | <.0001↑ | 1.22 (0.56-2.66) | .60 | 3.92 (1.82-8.48) | .0009↑ |
| TNF-R1 (pg/mL) | 2.95 (2.02-4.30) | <.0001↑ | 1.26 (0.85-1.87) | .24 | 0.99 (0.70-1.39) | .93 |
| TNF-R2 (pg/mL) | 2.93 (1.94-4.41) | <.0001↑ | 1.61 (1.00-2.59) | .05 | 1.54 (0.89-2.67) | .12 |
| VEGF (pg/mL) | 1.44 (1.10-1.88) | .01↑ | 1.03 (0.76-1.40) | .85 | 0.84 (0.67-1.04) | .10 |
| IFN-γ (pg/mL) | 1.76 (1.02-3.03) | .042↑ | 0.70 (0.39-1.25) | .22 | 9.33 (3.85-22.60) | <.0001↑ |
Data are presented as geometric means with 95% CIs, unless otherwise stated. Fold changes in mediators are shown. Values in boldface indicate statistical significance.
FVC, Forced vital capacity; TCC, total sputum cell count.
∗
Mean (SEM).