Table 3.
Characteristics of EE and NEE patients at exacerbation and follow‐up after 4 weeks
| Paired analysis between exacerbation and follow‐up | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exacerbation | 4‐Week follow‐up | EE | NEE | |||||
| EE (n = 16) | NEE (n = 21) | P‐value | EE (n = 12) | NEE (n = 14) | P‐value | P‐value | P‐value | |
| ACQ | 3.0 ± 1.2 | 3.7 ± 1.2 | 0.11 | 0.7 ± 0.8 | 1.7 ± 1.2 | 0.03 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| FeNO, GM (95% CI) | 60 (40–90) | 22 (17–30) | <0.001 | 35 (23–53) | 14 (9–23) | 0.007 | <0.001 | 0.03 |
| ICS budesonide equivalent daily (µg) | 0 (0–1600) | 0 (0–2400) | 0.94 | 1200 (0–1600) | 800 (800–4000) | 0.87 | 0.01 | 0.001 |
| % on ICS | 37.5 | 33.3 | 0.71 | 83.3† | 100.0 | 0.12 | 0.01 | 0.002 |
| FEV1 (L) | 2.78 (0.86) | 2.90 (0.61) | 0.62 | 3.25 (1.09) | 3.17 (0.62) | 0.80 | 0.03 | 0.01 |
| FEV1 % predicted | 70.8 ± 18.9 | 83.6 ± 15.2 | 0.03 | 84.2 ± 17.3 | 89.9 ± 12.8 | 0.35 | 0.04 | 0.007 |
| FVC (L) | 3.83 (1.10) | 3.61 (0.77) | 0.50 | 4.11 (1.23) | 3.84 (0.78) | 0.49 | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| FVC % predicted | 82.0 ± 17.5 | 87.8 ± 15.8 | 0.31 | 90.0 ± 17.3 | 92.0 ± 13.5 | 0.74 | 0.02 | 0.05 |
| FEV1/FVC ratio | 0.75 ± 0.11 | 0.81 ± 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.91 ± 0.20 | 0.89 ± 0.10 | 0.77 | 0.03 | 0.01 |
| % Reversibility to beta‐2 agonist | 13.9 ± 9.8 | 6.6 ± 5.9 | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sputum total cell count (×106/mL) | 0.36 (0.05–3.65) | 0.87 (0.02–7.87) | 0.13 | 0.52 (0.17–8.44) | 0.84 (0.41–3.76) | 0.07 | 0.37 | 0.65 |
| Sputum eosinophils (%) | 20.1 (3.5–59.8) | 0 (0–2.8) | <0.001 | 5.5 (0.3–69.8) | 0 (0–58.0) | 0.007 | 0.16 | 0.11 |
| Sputum neutrophils (%) | 48.2 (7.8–78.5) | 68.8 (1.5–99.3) | 0.21 | 25.2 (0–72.0) | 46.8 (3.0–91.3) | 0.12 | 0.39 | 0.31 |
†
Two patients had stopped taking their prescribed ICS (without consulting with the study doctor) because of relief of symptoms.
ACQ, Asthma Control Questionnaire; CI, confidence interval; EE, eosinophilic exacerbation; FeNO, fractional expiratory nitric oxide; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC, forced vital capacity; GM, geometric mean; ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; NEE, non‐eosinophilic exacerbation.