TABLE 1.
Clinical and demographic characteristics in hypersensitivity pneumonitis subgroups
| Subjects | HPAbs+ | Subjects | HPAbs− | p-value | |
| Age years | 60 | 53±9 | 110 | 53±12 | 0.59 |
| Female | 60 | 52 (86) | 110 | 89 (81) | 0.39 |
| Duration of symptoms before diagnosis months | 60 | 25 (4–20) | 110 | 27 (2–120) | 0.30 |
| Former smokers | 60 | 14 (23) | 110 | 26 (24) | 0.96 |
| Exposure to birds | 60 | 47 (78) | 110 | 91 (83) | 0.53 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 60 | 11 (18) | 110 | 16 (15) | 0.51 |
| Systemic hypertension | 60 | 9 (15) | 110 | 22 (20) | 0.53 |
| Dead | 54 | 12 (20) | 108 | 9 (8) | 0.02 |
| Antibodies against avian antigens | 60 | 59 (94) | 110 | 57 (53) | <0.0001 |
| Unidentified antigen | 60 | 4 (6) | 110 | 50 (47) | <0.0001 |
| HRCT chronic pattern | 60 | 48 (80) | 110 | 59 (54) | <0.001 |
| C-reactive protein mg·dL−1 | 60 | 0.9 (0.02–7.1) | 110 | 0.7 (0.01–3.9) | 0.95 |
| BAL# lymphocytosis | 49 | 49±19 | 87 | 46±25 | 0.17 |
| FVC % pred | 60 | 57.8±18 | 106 | 53.8±20 | 0.20 |
| DLCO % pred | 49 | 46±22 | 85 | 51±21 | 0.24 |
| 6MWT m | 42 | 333±168 | 71 | 333±116 | 0.21 |
| PO2¶ mmHg | 42 | 51±8 | 71 | 50±13 | 0.90 |
| PAP§ mmHg | 47 | 39±14 | 69 | 38±14 | 0.40 |
Data are presented as n, mean±sd, n (%) or median (range), unless otherwise stated. HPAbs+/HPAbs−: hypersensitivity pneumonitis with and without autoantibodies, respectively; HRCT: high-resolution computed tomography; BAL: bronchoalveolar lavage; FVC: forced vital capacity; DLCO: diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide; 6MWT: 6-min walk test; PO2: oxygen tension; PAP: pulmonary artery pressure. #: performed in 81% of the HPAbs+ patients and 79% of the HPAbs− patients; ¶: measured in 42 HPAbs+ patients and 71 HPAbs− patients; §: measured by echocardiography in 47 HPAbs+ patients and 69 HPAbs− patients.