Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of the validation database.
| Total Validation Dataset | Exacerbation | No Exacerbation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n | 109 | 11 | 98 |
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 48.2 (16.2) | 55.7 (17.1) | 47.3 (15.9) |
| Gender, male (n, %), | 40 (36.7) | 5 (45.5) | 35 (35.7) |
| BMI (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 28.3 (6.0) | 29.5 (7.1) | 28.1 (5.9) |
| Smoking (never/ex/current), n | 85/14/10 | 10/1/0 | 75/13/10 |
| Pack-years, median (IQR) | 4.4 (2.5–8.5) | 5.0 (5.0–5.0) | 4.3 (2.3–8.8) |
| Exacerbations *, n (%) | 11 (10.1) | 11 (100) | 0 (0) |
| Previous AB use #, n (%) | 5 (4.6) | 3 (27.3) | 2 (2.0) |
| FEV1 as % of predicted, mean (SD) | 86.4 (21.0) | 78.4 (25.7) | 87.4 (20.3) |
| Post-bronchodilator FEV1 as % of predicted, mean (SD) | 89.8 (17.6) | 81.4 (19.7) | 91.2 (17.0) |
| FEV1/FVC as % of predicted, mean (SD) | 85.1 (14.9) | 74.5 (24.0) | 86.5 (13.0) |
| Post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC as % of predicted, mean (SD) | 87.0 (14.5) | 75.5 (20.2) | 88.9 (12.6) |
| Blood eosinophils (cells·µL−1), median (IQR) | 0.22 (0.10–0.40) | 0.28 (0.12–0.47) | 0.21 (0.10–0.40) |
| Blood neutrophils (cells·µL−1), median (IQR) | 4.6 (3.6–6.1) | 5.6 (4.5–7.4) | 4.5 (3.6–5.8) |
| FeNO (ppb), median (IQR) | 25.0 (15.3–39.0) | 34.5 (24.0–39.0) | 24.5 (14.8–39.0) |
| ACQ score, mean (SD) | 1.8 (1.2) | 2.3 (1.2) | 1.8 (1.2) |
| ACQ-score > 1.5 (n, %) | 65 (59.6) | 9 (81.8) | 56 (57.1) |
| Allergy †, yes, n (%) | 76 (69.7) | 9 (81.8) | 67 (68.4) |
| Use of ICS, yes, n (%) | 95 (87.2) | 10 (90.9) | 85 (86.7) |
* Defined as OCS for acute worsening of respiratory symptoms < 3 months prior measurement. # Defined as antibiotics for acute worsening of respiratory symptoms < 3 months prior measurement. † Self-reported. FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s, FVC: forced vital capacity, FeNO: fraction of exhaled nitric oxide, AB: antibiotics, ACQ: asthma control questionnaire and ICS: inhaled corticosteroids.