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Table 1 Characteristics of Subjects

From: CXC chemokine superfamily induced by Interferon-γ in asthma: a cross-sectional observational study

 

Asthma patients

Healthy subjects

P value*

Subjects, n (%)

39

12

 

Age, y

55 (20–72)

47 (30–57)

0.02

Male/female, n (Male, %)

16 (41)/23

4 (33)/9

0.05

BMI (kg/m2)

22.5 (3.8)

22.2 (3.1)

N.S.

Duration of asthma (y)

6.5 (2–16.5)

N. A.

N. A.

Ex-smokers, n (%)

14 (36)

0 (0)

0.02

Medication

 ICS dose (μg/day)

995 (400–1300)

N. A.

N. A.

 Long acting β2-agonist, n (%)

27 (69)

N. A.

N. A.

 Leukotriene receptor antagonist, n (%)

27 (69)

N. A.

N. A.

 Oral corticosteroids, n (%)

8 (21)

N. A.

N. A.

Atopy, n (%)

25 (64)

5 (42)

N.S.

Asthma control and health care use, past year

 β-agonist use/day

0.00 (0.00–0.03)

N. A.

N. A.

 Oral corticosteroid bursts

1.0 (0.0–2.0)

N. A.

N. A.

FEV1, L/min

2.0 (0.4)

3.2 (0.8)

<0.0001

FEV1, % predicted

80.4 (20.3)

105.5 (14.6)

<0.0001

FeNO, ppb

29.5 (14.0–45.5)

N.D.

N. A.

Cell population in sputum

 % Squamous

16.7 (7.6–25.2)

32.9 (25.1–42.4)

0.03

 % Macrophage

26.0 (19.0–43.1)

37.5 (27.6–4 3.2)

N. S.

 % Lymphocyte

7.3 (4.6–11.9)

7.5 (3.7–13.4)

N. S.

 % Neutrophil

29.9 (24.1–51.2)

21.6 (18.6–24.1)

N. S.

 % Eosinophil

6.4 (1.6–11.4)

0.5 (0.0–2.0)

<0.0001

 % Eosinophil

38.3 (29.8–63.1)

23.9 (18.6–24.8)

0.002

  + % Neutrophil

CXC chemokine in sputum

 IP-10 (pg/mL)

60.1 (31.2–306.7)

31.2 (0.0)

0.01

 Mig (pg/mL)

989.5 (62.5–2698.2)

62.5 (0.0)

<0.0001

 I-TAC (pg/mL)

7.8 (7.8–24.3)

7.8 (0.0)

N. S.

 IL-8 ( Log, pg/mL)

3120.3 (3.5, 1442.9 - 9115.1)

1356.6 (3.0, 522.6 - 2550.4)

0.01

  1. Data are presented as means (SD) unless otherwise indicated. Nonparametric data are shown as medians (25 to 75 %). Age is shown as mean (minimum to maximum)
  2. ICS = inhalation corticosteroid (beclomethasone), where 1 μg beclomethasone = 1 μg budesonide = 0.5 μg fluticasone
  3. *P values are calculated with the use of the Mann–Whitney U test for nonparametric data, Student’s t-test for variables with a parametric distribution, and Fisher’s exact test for comparison of proportions
  4. N. A.; not applicable. N.D.: not done