Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of the subjects
| HC (n =10) | PGA (n =6) | EA (n =12) | NA (n =10) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 10.40 ± 2.42 | 9.08 ± 1.74 | 9.54 ± 2.01 | 9.70 ± 2.50 |
| Gender (male: female) | 6:4 | 3:3 | 7:5 | 6:4 |
| FEV1 (% of predicted) | 87.72 ± 5.32 | 84.90 ± 13.23 | 85.70 ± 12.74 | 68.81 ± 9.99** |
| PEF(% of predicted) | 92.56 ± 6.28 | 86.73 ± 14.22 | 88.37 ± 11.51 | 70.56 ± 9.48** |
| Sputum neutrophils (% of total inflammatory cells) | 32.57 ± 6.74 | 38.45 ± 9.35 | 40.28 ± 6.97 | 69.57 ± 6.80** |
| Sputum eosinophils (% of total inflammatory cells) | 1.31 ± 0.59 | 1.66 ± 0.32 | 3.06 ± 0.40# | 1.76 ± 0.19 |
Data are expressed as mean and SD
EA eosinophilic asthma, FEV1 forced expiratory volume in 1 s, HC healthy controls, NA neutrophilic asthma, PEF peak expiratory flow, PGA paucigranulocytic asthma
** p < 0.01 versus PGA, EA and HC. # p < 0.01 versus PGA, NA and HC