Table 2.
Clinical characteristics of asthmatic patients, including airway imaging and histo(cyto)logy.
| Asthma duration, years | 10 (5–20) |
| Atopy, n(%) | 39 (53%) |
| Severe asthma, n(%) | 29 (39%) |
| Asthma severity (GINA) | |
| Mild, n(%) | 18 (24%) |
| Moderate, n(%) | 27 (36%) |
| Severe, n(%) | 29 (39%) |
| Asthma symptom control § | |
| Well-controlled asthma, n(%) | 22 (30%) |
| Not-well controlled asthma, n(%) | 33 (44%) |
| Very-poorly controlled asthma, n(%) | 19 (26%) |
| Spirometry values | |
| FEV1 before bronchodilator, % of the predicted value | 81.8 (66.6–99.4) |
| FEV1 after bronchodilator, % of the predicted value | 91.9 (73.2–104.1) |
| VC before bronchodilator, L | 3.2 (2.6–3.97) |
| VC after bronchodilator, L | 3.36 (2.7–4) |
| FEV1/VC (before bronchodilator) | 65.8 (57.4–72.6) |
| FEV1/VC (after bronchodilator) | 69.9 (63.2–77.5) |
| Computed tomography airway remodeling indices | |
| The right upper lobe apical segmental bronchus (RB1) | |
| Lumen area, mm2 | 12.5 (10–16) |
| Wall area, mm2 | 34.8 (27.9–45.4) |
| Wall thickness, mm | 1.9 (1.7–2.1) |
| Wall thickness ratio (WTR) | 24.1 ± 2.7 |
| Wall area ratio (WAR) | 73.2 ± 5.6 |
| The right lower lobe basal posterior bronchus (RB10) | |
| Lumen area, mm2 | 12.5 (9–18) |
| Wall area, mm2 | 35.1 ± 12.3 |
| Wall thickness, mm | 1.8 (1.6–2.1) |
| Wall thickness ratio (WTR) | 23.6 (22–25.9) |
| Wall area ratio (WAR) | 72.3 (68.5–76.9) |
| Bronchial biopsy histology | |
| Reticular basement membrane (RBM) thickness, μm ¥ | 6.49 (5.3–7.86) |
| Collagen I staining, % of the stroma showing reactivity | 30 (20–60) |
| Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) cellularity # | |
| Macrophages, % | 85 (72–93) |
| Lymphocytes, % | 8 (4–15) |
| Neutrophils, % | 3 (2–5) |
| Eosinophils, % | 1 (0.1–2) |
| Eosinophils ≥2% in BAL, n(%) | 17 (37.5%) |
| Neutrophils ≥4% in BAL, n(%) | 29 (43.3%) |
| Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid biomarkers † | |
| Periostin, ng/mL | 0.85 (0.75–0.97) |
| Interleukin-6, pg/mL | 0.75 (0.1–1.19) |
| Interleukin-12(p70), pg/mL | 0.078 (0.05–0.12) |
| Asthma therapy | |
| Oral corticosteroids | 14 (19%) |
| Inhaled corticosteroids (persistent use) | 68 (92%) |
| Long-acting β2-agonists (persistent use) | 54 (73%) |
| Antileukotrienes | 10 (14%) |
| Theophylline | 8 (11%) |
| Long-acting anticholinergics (persistent use) | 5 (7%) |
Categorical variables are presented as numbers (percentages); continuous variables are presented as median and 0.25–0.75 quartiles, or mean and standard deviation, as appropriate. Abbreviations and references: BAL—bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, FEV1—forced expiratory volume in one second, GINA—Global Initiative for Asthma, L—liter, VC—vital capacity; § asthma symptom control (assessed based on Asthma Control Test results); # BAL cell differential data available in 67 asthma subjects; † BAL fluid levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-17A and interferon γ were below the detection threshold (data not shown); ¥ RBM available in 45 asthma subjects.