TABLE 1.
Characteristics of the patients in the total group and the clusters based on airway microbiota.
| Total | Cluster 1 | Cluster 2 | Cluster 3 |
p-value |
|||
| Cluster 1 vs. 3 | Cluster 1 vs. 2 | Cluster 2 vs. 3 | |||||
| Number | 38 | 7 | 20 | 11 | |||
| Male | 24 (63.2%) | 2 (28.6%) | 16 (80.0%) | 6 (54.5%) | 0.280 | 0.013 | 0.135 |
| Age, years | 60.9 ± 9.4 | 61.4 ± 11.5 | 59.2 ± 9.2 | 63.5 ± 8.5 | 0.659 | 0.609 | 0.205 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 26.0 ± 6.2 | 22.2 ± 4.1 | 27.4 ± 6.5 | 25.9 ± 6.1 | 0.182 | 0.063 | 0.544 |
| Smoking history | |||||||
| Former | 25 (65.8%) | 5 (71.4%) | 12 (60.0%) | 8 (72.7%) | 0.952 | 0.590 | 0.479 |
| Pack-years | 47.3 ± 18.4 | 54.9 ± 31.5 | 45.1 ± 10.8 | 46.5 ± 19.5 | 0.492 | 0.2287 | 0.797 |
| Exacerbations in the last year | |||||||
| Number of patients | 26 (68.4%) | 5 (71.4%) | 14 (70.0%) | 7 (63.6%) | 0.724 | 0.943 | 0.717 |
| Number of episodes per patient | 2.4 ± 1.4 | 2.8 ± 1.6 | 2.3 ± 1.1 | 2.4 ± 1.8 | 0.732 | 0.450 | 0.826 |
| Symptoms | |||||||
| Cough | 29 (76.3%) | 7 (100%) | 16 (80.0%) | 6 (54.5%) | 0.036 | 0.264 | 0.077 |
| Dyspnea ≥2 mMRC | 31 (81.5%) | 7 (100%) | 15 (75.0%) | 9 (81.8%) | 0.497 | 0.283 | 1 |
| Chronic bronchitis | 18 (47.4%) | 5 (71.4%) | 8 (40.0%) | 5 (45.5%) | 0.280 | 0.152 | 0.768 |
| CAT total score | 19.0 ± 7.8 | 23.8 ± 4.6 | 18.2 ± 7.6 | 17.8 ± 9.3 | 0.204 | 0.134 | 0.895 |
| Lung function | |||||||
| FEV1, % pred | 45.5 ± 19.5 | 48.2 ± 8.1 | 51.8 ± 21.9 | 46.7 ± 19.0 | 0.797 | 0.726 | 0.549 |
| FEV1/FVC | 47.6 ± 12.0 | 46.0 ± 5.7 | 49.8 ± 11.3 | 47.8 ± 13.5 | 0.621 | 0.490 | 0.695 |
| RV, % pred | 215.7 ± 90.5 | 243.3 ± 60.1 | 213.9 ± 104.8 | 201.0 ± 85.5 | 0.273 | 0.497 | 0.736 |
| GOLD 3-4 | 22 (57.9%) | 6 (85.7%) | 10 (50.0%) | 7 (63.6%) | 0.596 | 0.183 | 0.707 |
| 6-min walking distance, n | 32 | 7 | 16 | 9 | |||
| Distance, % of predicted value | 66.4 ± 22.6 | 69.3 ± 16.6 | 68.8 ± 26.6 | 60.1 ± 19.8 | 0.341 | 0.945 | 0.466 |
| CT scan, n | 35 | 7 | 19 | 9 | |||
| Emphysema, n | 29 (82.9%) | 7 (100%) | 14 (73.7%) | 8 (88.9%) | 0.362 | 0.131 | 0.36 |
| Emphysema visual score | 9.2 ± 4.7 | 7.0 ± 2.4 | 10.4 ± 5.3 | 9.1 ± 4.6 | 0.299 | 0.124 | 0.570 |
| Questionnaires, n | 37 | 7 | 20 | 10 | |||
| CASA-Q | |||||||
| Cough symptoms | 64.2 ± 21.7 | 51.2 ± 32.8 | 63.7 ± 16.3 | 74.2 ± 19.0 | 0.087 | 0.194 | 0.129 |
| Sputum symptoms | 58.8 ± 24.1 | 53.6 ± 32.2 | 52.9 ± 21.0 | 74.2 ± 18.6 | 0.115 | 0.951 | 0.011 |
| Cough impact | 70.1 ± 24.1 | 50.0 ± 18.0 | 70.5 ± 22.2 | 83.4 ± 23.6 | 0.007 | 0.038 | 0.151 |
| Sputum impact | 74.2 ± 29.9 | 58.3 ± 22.7 | 73.5 ± 19.01 | 86.7 ± 16.5 | 0.009 | 0.095 | 0.074 |
| HAD | |||||||
| Anxiety score | 8.4 ± 4.5 | 12.2 ± 4.4 | 8.2 ± 4.0 | 6.6 ± 4.7 | 0.034 | 0.044 | 0.348 |
| Depression score | 6.6 ± 3.9 | 6.5 ± 3.3 | 6.7 ± 4.6 | 6.5 ± 2.8 | 1 | 0.941 | 0.925 |
| SGRQ | |||||||
| Total | 52.9 ± 19.0 | 57.6 ± 14.9 | 52.4 ± 20.6 | 50.7 ± 19.3 | 0.440 | 0.548 | 0.826 |
| SF-36 | |||||||
| Global physical health | 33.5 ± 10.4 | 35.2 ± 12.4 | 33.1 ± 9.0 | 33.1 ± 12.6 | 0.742 | 0.633 | 0.992 |
| Global mental health | 31.3 ± 18.2 | 15.6 ± 19.2 | 33.4 ± 17.7 | 37.9 ± 13.0 | 0.012 | 0.034 | 0.485 |
Unless otherwise stated, data are available for all patients. Indicated in bold are the characteristics that are statistically significant between clusters 1 and 3 (chi-square test, Fisher exact test, t-test, and Mann–Whitney test).
BMI, body mass index; mMRC, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale; FEV, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC, forced vital capacity; RV, residual volume; CASA-Q, Cough and Sputum Assessment Questionnaire; HAD, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; SGRQ, St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire; SF-36, 36-item short-form health survey.