TABLE 1.
Characteristics of the COPD and asthma groups
| COPD | Asthma | p‐value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of subjects | 34 | 51 | |
| Female sex, N (%) | 2 (6) | 21 (43) | <0.001 b |
| Age (year) | 67.2 ± 7.1 | 61.2 ± 11.6 | 0.009 c |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 22.9 ± 3.4 | 25.1 ± 5.7 | 0.04 c |
| Smoking index at entry, pack‐years | 64.9 ± 27.1 | 26.5 ± 27.2 | <0.001 c |
| Current smokers, N (%) | 8 (24) | 7 (20) | 0.26 b |
| FEV1, L a | 1.74 ± 0.50 | 2.22 ± 0.71 | 0.001 c |
| FEV1, % predicted a | 62.9 ± 16.2 | 86.0 ± 15.2 | <0.001 c |
| FEV1/FVC, % a | 51.1 ± 11.6 | 63.7 ± 12.1 | <0.001 c |
| DLco, % predicted | 78.0 ± 21.1 | 102.1 ± 20.1 | <0.001 c |
| Kco, % predicted | 66.1 ± 20.7 | 104.8 ± 25.6 | <0.001 c |
| Blood neutrophil count, cells/mm3 | 3560 (2504–4559) | 4788 (3657–6182) | <0.001 d |
| Blood eosinophil count, cells/mm3 | 218 (63–388) | 405 (83–659) | 0.03 d |
| Serum total IgE, IU/ml | 91 (30–138) | 253 (100–472) | <0.001 d |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Any cardiovascular disease, N (%) | 12 (35) | NA | |
| Ischemic heart disease, N (%) | 4 (12) | NA | |
| Diabetes, N (%) | 1 (3) | NA | |
| Allergic rhinitis, N (%) | NA | 26 (51) | |
| Atopic dermatitis, N (%) | NA | 8 (16) | |
Note: Data are shown as mean ± SD, median (interquartile range), or number (%).
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; DLco, carbon monoxide diffusion capacity; Kco, carbon monoxide transfer coefficient; NA, not assessed.
a
COPD: post‐bronchodilator (salbutamol) value; Severe asthma: maximum value of FEV1 among four procedures (see Section 2) and corresponding FEV1/FVC.
b
Fisher's exact test.
c
Student's t test.
d
Mann–Whitney U test.