Table 2. Asthma control, PB-FEV1 and biomarkers in severe asthmatics according to sex.
| Male | Female | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT (median [IQR]) | 19 (8) | 18 (8) | NS |
| ACQ (median [IQR]) | 2.3 (2.3) | 2.4 (2.2) | NS |
| Severe exacerbations (No./yr, mean) | 2.3 (3.3) | 2.5 (3.6) | NS |
| ED attendency (No./yr, mean) | 0.32 (1.4) | 0.3 (0.8) | NS |
| Hospitalization (No./yr, mean) | 0.17 (.61) | 0.22 (.61) | 0.07 |
| PB-FEV1 (L, mean) | 2.54 (0.87) | 1.83 (0.66) | 0.005 |
| PB-FEV1 (%pred) | 72.4 (21) | 76.0 (23) | NS |
| Blood eosinophils (median [IQR]) | 360 (510) | 300 (490) | NS |
| Blood eosinophils | 6.06 | 5.69 | NS |
| Blood eosinophils > 150/µL | 74.3 | 66.0 | < 0.002 |
| Blood eosinophils > 300/µL | 56.3 | 49.8 | NS |
| Blood eosinophils > 400/µL | 41.5 | 40.9 | NS |
| FeNO | 49.9 ± 44.5 | 40.3 ± 38.7 | 0.001 |
| FeNO > 25 ppb | 62.8 | 53.9 | 0.05 |
| FeNO > 50 ppb | 35.1 | 27.9 | < 0.005 |
| Serum IgE (median [IQR]) | 508 (686) | 352 (503) | 0.02 |
| Serum IgE > 150 U/µL | 67.3 | 56.1 | 0.006 |
| Serum IgE > 700 U/µL | 22.05 | 12.96 | < 0.005 |
Data are shown as mean ± standard deviation or number (%).
ACT, asthma control test; ACQ, asthma control questionnaire; IQR, interquartile range; ED, emergency department; PB-FEV1, pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in the first second; FeNO, fractional exhaled nitric oxide; IgE, immunoglobulin E; NS, not significant.