Table 3.

Individual group differences: comparison to ACO using Mann–Whitney U test

Morphometric Parameter	Group	Median Difference (95% CI)	P Value
Epithelial thickness	HC	8.42 (−0.31 to 19.61)	0.0263*
	Asthma	−3.995 (−15.58 to 10.32)	0.3523
	COPD-ES	−9.55 (−20.60 to 8.08)	0.1737
	COPD-CS	6.71 (−4.14 to 25.67)	0.0847
	NLFS	8.86 (−11.38 to 27.23)	0.2186
Epithelial cells	HC	17.49 (−45.41 to 59.14)	0.2665
	Asthma	13.13 (−52.92 to 49.78)	0.4879
	COPD-ES	−11.32 (−61.96 to 93.92)	0.4863
	COPD-CS	19.01 (−7.57 to 149.9)	0.0661
	NLFS	63.24 (−36.22 to 121.1)	0.1284
Goblet cells	HC	6.77 (0.95 to 8.80)	0.0010*
	Asthma	−4.65 (−6.77 to 3.85)	0.2803
	COPD-ES	−5.58 (−8.83 to −0.66)	0.0043*
	COPD-CS	−6.06 (−7.1 to 0.55)	0.0843
	NLFS	−5.56 (−6.77 to 2.82)	0.2439
RBM thickness	HC	5.22 (2.63 to 7.01)	<0.0001*
	Asthma	−1.69 (−3.30 to 1.14)	0.2540
	COPD-ES	−1.46 (−3.96 to 1.41)	0.2179
	COPD-CS	3.74 (−1.18 to 12.72)	0.0759
	NLFS	−2.80 (−4.42 to 0.11)	0.0252*
RBM cells	HC	20.59 (10.49 to 23.98)	0.0002*
	Asthma	3.41 (−6.73 to 12.08)	0.2334
	COPD-ES	−13.37 (−20.62 to −3.24)	0.0018*
	COPD-CS	−14.03 (−21.65 to −5.41)	0.0014*
	NLFS	−19.66 (−26.24 to −12.38)	<0.0001*
Total LP cells	HC	506.2 (−426.7 to 915.5)	0.2256
	Asthma	1,427 (−317.5 to 2,573)	0.0613
	COPD-ES	−91.90 (−801.0 to 1,068)	0.4214
	COPD-CS	−898.8 (−1,551 to 37.38)	0.0396*
	NLFS	−725.5 (−1,315 to 288.5)	0.1473
Ratio of SM area to total tissue area	HC	−0.046 (−0.065 to 0.007)	0.0576
	Asthma	0.073 (0.037 to 0.215)	0.0008*
	COPD-ES	0.044 (−0.028 to 0.067)	0.1405
	COPD-CS	0.071 (0.022 to 0.107)	0.0035*
	NLFS	0.142 (0.019 to 0.192)	0.0030*

^*Significantly different. ACO, asthma COPD overlap; CI, confidence interval; ES, exsmoker; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CS, current smokers; HC, healthy control; LP, lamina propria; NLFS, normal lung function smokers; RBM, reticular basement membrane; SM, smooth muscle.