TABLE 3.
Changes in BMI, weight and smoking habits from recruitment to follow-up, and lung function, blood neutrophils and eosinophils and allergic sensitisation at follow-up between 2012 and 2014, comparing subjects in remission and subjects with persistent asthma
| Persistent asthma | Remission | p-value | |
| Subjects n | 182 | 23 | |
| Changes in BMI and weight | |||
| BMI change | 3.0±3.3 | 1.6±3.3 | 0.054 |
| % weight change | 10.3±0.1 | 4.9±0.1 | 0.059 |
| Weight loss | 23 (12.6) | 6 (26.1) | |
| Stable weight | 28 (15.4) | 5 (21.7) | |
| Weight gain | 131 (72.0) | 12 (52.2) | 0.118+ |
| Changes in smoking habits | |||
| Nonsmoker to nonsmoker | 90 (49.5) | 10 (43.5) | |
| Ex-smoker to ex-smoker (mean 11.9 pack-years) | 57 (31.3) | 7 (30.4) | |
| Ex-smoker to smoker | 0 | 0 | |
| Smoker to smoker (mean 21.1 pack-years) | 9 (4.9) | 4 (17.4) | |
| Smoker to ex-smoker (mean 8.7 pack-years) | 26 (14.3) | 2 (8.7) | 0.753§ |
| Pack-years at follow-up | 11.4 (11.7) | 17.7 (12.2) | 0.074 |
| Lung function at follow-up | |||
| FEV1 pp | 89.0±14.0 | 96.7±11.8 | 0.014 |
| FVC pp | 94.6±14.2 | 101.1±14.5 | 0.043 |
| FEV1 reversibility ≥12% and ≥200 mL | 12 (7.1) | 1 (4.5) | 0.547 |
| Blood neutrophils 109·L−1 at follow-up# | |||
| ≥4 | 67 (39.4) | 8 (34.8) | 0.669 |
| ≥5 | 21 (12.4) | 3 (13.0) | 0.570 |
| ≥6 | 9 (5.3) | 2 (8.7) | 0.386 |
| mean±sd | 3.8±1.2 | 4.0±2.2 | 0.406 |
| Blood eosinophils 109·L−1 at follow-up# | |||
| ≥0.2 | 80 (47.1) | 12 (52.2) | 0.645 |
| ≥0.3 | 39 (22.9) | 4 (17.4) | 0.383 |
| ≥0.4 | 23 (13.5) | 2 (8.7) | 0.399 |
| mean±sd | 0.2±0.2 | 0.2±0.1 | 0.547 |
| Allergic sensitisation at follow-up¶ | |||
| Specific IgE >0.35 IU·mL−1 | 50 (28.4) | 5 (21.7) | 0.501 |
| Sensitisation to any pollen | 37 (21.0) | 5 (21.7) | 0.937 |
| Sensitisation to any furry animal | 30 (17.0) | 4 (17.4) | 0.580 |
Data are presented as n (%) or mean±sd, unless otherwise stated. BMI: body mass index; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC: forced vital capacity; Ig: immunoglobulin. #: among the 193 participating in blood sampling for cell count at follow-up; ¶: among the 199 participating in blood samples for IgE at follow-up; +: analysis performed in a 3×2 table; §: analysis performed in a 5×2 table. Bold values indicate p<0.05.