Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of the study population.
| Normal Controls | Asthma Patients | COPD Patients | p Value * | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | 22 | 86 | 16 | |
| Age | 58.67 ± 13.66 | 46.51 ± 16.27 | 65.07 ± 12.68 | <0.01 |
| Sex | <0.01 | |||
| Female | 16 (73%) | 45 (51%) | 2 (13%) | |
| Male | 6 (27%) | 43 (49%) | 14 (88%) | |
| Body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) | 22.77 ± 2.79 | 25.6 ± 5.26 | 22.97 ± 4.01 | 0.01 |
| Obesity (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2) | <0.01 | |||
| No | 21 (95%) | 53 (60%) | 14 (88%) | |
| Yes | 1 (5%) | 35 (40%) | 2 (13%) | |
| Allergic rhinitis | <0.01 | |||
| No | 19 (86%) | 27 (31%) | 11 (69%) | |
| Yes | 3 (14%) | 61 (69%) | 5 (31%) | |
| Smoking history | <0.01 | |||
| Never smoker | 22 (100%) | 62 (70%) | 2 (13%) | |
| Current smoker | 0 (0%) | 16 (18%) | 8 (50%) | |
| Ex-smoker | 0 (0%) | 10 (11%) | 6 (38%) | |
| Medications | ||||
| Oral corticosteroid | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Inhaled corticosteroid | 0 (0%) | 29 (33%) | 5 (31%) | <0.01 |
| Long-acting beta2-agonist | 0 (0%) | 31 (35%) | 7 (44%) | <0.01 |
| Long-acting muscarinic antagonist | 0 (0%) | 4 (5%) | 2 (13%) | 0.20 |
| Leukotriene receptor antagonist | 0 (0%) | 22 (25%) | 2 (13%) | 0.02 |
| Intranasal steroids | 0 (0%) | 8 (9%) | 0 (0%) | 0.16 |
| Theophylline | 0 (0%) | 2 (2%) | 2 (13%) | 0.06 |
| Eosinophil percentage (%) | 2 ± 1 | 4 ± 3 | 3 ± 2 | <0.01 |
| Eosinophil count (/μL) | 105.67 ± 76.2 | 299.05 ± 270.23 | 192.89 ± 116.47 | <0.01 |
| Eosinophil cationic protein | 0.02 | |||
| <24 μg/L | 22 (100%) | 66 (75%) | 14 (88%) | |
| ≥24 μg/L | 0 (0%) | 22 (25%) | 2 (13%) | |
| IgE (IU/mL) | 30.93 ± 26.45 | 485.49 ± 592.8 | 166.41 ± 165.69 | <0.01 |
| FEV1 (%predicted) | <0.01 | |||
| ≥80% | 22 (100%) | 76 (86%) | 4 (25%) | |
| <80% | 0 (0%) | 12 (14%) | 12 (75%) | |
| FVC (%predicted) | <0.01 | |||
| ≥80% | 22 (100%) | 74 (84%) | 8 (50%) | |
| <80% | 0 (0%) | 14 (16%) | 8 (50%) |
Abbreviation: FEV1, forced expiratory volume in the first minute; FVC, forced vital capacity. * Continuous variables and categorical variables were compared between groups using analysis of variances and Chi-square test, respectively.