Table 4.
Comparison of EOS- Patients According to the Allergic Profile of the Patients: ALL+ Vs ALL
| Characteristics: N (%), Otherwise Specified | ALL+ | ALL- | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N=293 | N=132 | |||
| Asthma duration (years) | Mean (SD) | 32.4 (17.7) | 24.8 (18.2) | <0.0001 |
| Sensitization to allergens | Yes | 293 (68.9%) | 323 (66.1%) | 0.35 |
| Total serum IgE level | >150 IU/mL | 136 (57.9%) | 37 (35.6%) | <0.01 |
| Inhaled therapy* | ICS | 18 (6.1%) | 10 (7.6%) | 0.58 |
| LABA | 11 (3.8%) | 5 (3.8%) | 1.00+ | |
| LABA & ICS | 277 (94.5%) | 121 (91.7%) | 0.26 | |
| LAMA | 102 (34.8%) | 52 (39.4%) | 0.36 | |
| Other asthma treatment* | Antileukotrienes | 171 (58.4%) | 62 (47.0%) | 0.03 |
| OCS | 39 (13.3%) | 28 (21.2%) | 0.04 | |
| Biotherapy | 115 (39.2%) | 30 (22.7%) | <0.01 | |
| Theophylline | 22 (7.5%) | 16 (12.1%) | 0.12 | |
| Other | 35 (11.9%) | 16 (12.1%) | 0.96 | |
| Frequent exacerbators | Yes | 195 (78.3%) | 85 (76.6%) | 0.71 |
| Number of exacerbations† | Median (interquartile) | 5 (2–8) | 4 (2–9.5) | 0.98 |
| ≥1 moderate exacerbation† ‡ | Yes | 221 (75.4%) | 96 (72.7%) | 0.55 |
| ≥1 hospitalization ** | Yes | 72 (24.6%) | 34 (25.8%) | 0.79 |
| ACT score (classes) | <15 (uncontrolled) | 121 (44.8%) | 59 (46.8%) | 0.93 |
| 15–19 (poor control) | 79 (29.3%) | 36 (28.6%) | ||
| 20–25 (good control) | 70 (25.9%) | 31 (24.6%) | ||
Notes: *More than one answer allowed; †Within the 12 months prior to the study; ‡Requiring corticosteroid therapy or ICS dose increase (without hospitalization); **Due to exacerbation. ALL- group included patients with negative results to allergic sensitization tests; ALL+ group included patients with positive results to allergic sensitization tests. EOS- was defined by blood EOS count <300 G/l. Frequent exacerbators were defined as patients presenting with at least two exacerbations in the 12 months prior to the study. Exacerbations were defined based on oral corticosteroids (OCS) use or increased dose of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). Missing data were not replaced; percentages are calculated on available data. Only patients with severe asthma were included in the study.
Abbreviations: ACT, Asthma Control Test; ALL, Allergic; EOS, Eosinophil; G/l, giga per liter; ICS, Inhaled corticosteroids; IU, International unit; IgE, Immunoglobulin E; LABA, Long-acting β2 agonist; LAMA, Long-acting muscarinic antagonist; N, Number; OCS, Long-term oral corticosteroids; SD, Standard deviation.