Table 2.
Clinical Characteristics of Asthmatic and Control Groups from Independent Cohorts
| Healthy Controls (n = 22) | Moderate Asthma (n = 29) | Severe Asthma (n = 20) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | |||
| Age (years) | 21 ± 5 | 17 ± 6 | 22 ± 3 |
| Male/female | 12/10 | 19/10 | 14/6 |
| Atopy | 4 (18%) | 25 (86%) | 20 (100%) |
| Age at first symptoms (years) | – | 5 ± 1 | 3 ± 1 |
| Duration of symptoms (years) | – | 11 ± 3 | 12 ± 3 |
| Parental smoking | 7 (21%) | 12 (41%) | 10 (50%) |
| FEV1 (% predicted) | 98 ± 11 | 71.5 ± 12 | 65.5 ± 9.5 |
| Bronchodilator reversibility (%) | 3.5 ± 1.5 | 20 ± 6 | 19 ± 7 |
| Total IgE (U/mL) | 56 (19–136) | 412 (145–1,096) | 412 (145–1,096) |
| Medications | |||
| Inhaled corticosteroid (mg/day) | – | 1.7 (0.7–1.6) | 1.7 (0.7–1.6) |
| Maintenance oral prednisolone | – | 5 | 8 |
| Long-acting β-agonist | – | 28 | 20 |
| Leukotriene receptor antagonist | – | 21 | 18 |
| Theophylline | – | 15 | 15 |
| ACT score (/25) | – | 14 (8–17) | 14 (8–17) |
| FENO50 (ppb; normal, <24 ppb) | – | 52 (27–67) | 55 (29–69) |
| Sputum eosinophil (%; normal, <2.5%) | – | 8 (3.5–28) | 9 (4–24) |
ACT, Asthma Control Test; FENO50, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide at 50 mL/s; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; ppb, parts per billion.