Table 1.

Demographic and clinical characteristics of frequent and infrequent exacerbators included in baseline sputum soluble mediator and mRNA analyses

	Frequent Exacerbators (n = 17)	Infrequent Exacerbators (n = 23)	P Value
Patients included in baseline sputum-soluble mediator analyses (n = 40)
Male sex	12 (70.6%)	16 (69.6%)	1.0
Age, yr	70 (61–79)	70 (63.5–73.8)	0.79
GOLD stage I/II/III/IV	0/9/5/3	8/13/1/1
Long-term oxygen use	1 (5.8%)	0 (0%)	0.43
Cardiac disease	5 (29.4%)	2 (8.7%)	0.11
Cerebrovascular disease	3 (17.6%)	1 (4.3%)	0.29
Diabetes	2 (11.8%)	1 (4.3%)	0.56
Pulmonary hypertension	0 (0%)	1 (4.3%)	1.0
Inhaled corticosteroid use	12 (70.6%)	9 (39.1%)	0.062
Beta agonist use	16 (94.1%)	19 (82.6%)	0.37
Antimuscarinic inhaler use	15 (88.2%)	14 (60.9%)	0.079
Current smoker	6 (35.5%)	7 (30.4%)	1.0

	Frequent Exacerbators (n = 13)	Infrequent Exacerbators (n = 23)	P Value
Patients included in baseline mRNA analyses (n = 36)
Male sex	10 (76.9%)	16 (69.6%)	0.72
Age, yr	69 (60–74)	67 (59.0–71.5)	0.92
GOLD stage I/II/III/IV	0/8/4/1	8/13/1/1
Long-term oxygen use	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1.0
Cardiac disease	3 (23.1%)	2 (8.7%)	0.33
Cerebrovascular disease	3 (23.1%)	1 (4.3%)	0.12
Diabetes	2 (15.38%)	1 (4.3%)	0.54
Pulmonary hypertension	0 (0%)	1 (4.3%)	1.0
Inhaled corticosteroid use	9 (69.2%)	9 (39.1%)	0.16
Beta agonist use	12 (92.3%)	19 (82.6%)	0.63
Antimuscarinic inhaler use	11 (84.6%)	14 (60.9%)	0.26
Current smoker	6 (26.2%)	7 (30.4%)	0.47

GOLD, Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease. Note that only 36 out of 40 subjects had sufficient sample for mRNA analysis.