Table 1 Characteristics of the study population.

From: Persistent activation of interlinked type 2 airway epithelial gene networks in sputum-derived cells from aeroallergen-sensitized symptomatic asthmatics

 

Nonatopic

Nonatopic

HDMS

HDMS

P

controls

wheezers

nonwheezers

wheezers

Number of participants

21

7

24

16

 

Male (%)

42.9

42.9

54.2

56.3

0.804

Wheeze in past 12 months [A] (%)

0.0

100.0

0.0

100.0

 

Doctor diagnosis of asthma ever [B] (%)

9.5 a

57.1 b,c

41.7 a,c

93.8 b

<0.001

Asthma medication use in past 12 months [C] (%)

4.8 a

14.3 a

8.3 a

75.0 b

<0.001

Current medicated asthma [Postive for A,B&C] (%)

0.0

14.3

0.0

75.0

0.007^

Current asthma [Positive for A&B] (%)

0.0

57.1

0.0

93.8

0.033^

Airways hyperresponsiveness (%)

0.0

0.0

0.0

43.7

<0.001

Parental history of asthma at recruitment (%)

10.0*

28.6

21.7*

37.5

0.263

Current rhinoconjunctivitis (%)

0.0 a

42.9 b

0.0 a

75.0 b

<0.001

Current smokers (%)

23.8

14.3

33.3

25.0

0.740

Height (m)

1.76 [1.65–1.79]

1.70 [1.59–1.78]

1.76 [1.66–1.82]

1.73 [1.60–1.84]

0.415

Weight (kg)

67.6 [61.5–82.9]

76.9 [56.0–83.0]

75.1 [66.4–89.7]

70.3 [60.9–102.4]

0.561

Hip to waist ratio

0.83 [0.79–0.88]

0.83 [0.78–0.85]

0.85 [0.81–0.90]

0.87 [0.77–0.88]

0.754

Age at assessment and sputum collection (years)

22.0 [21.8–22.2]

21.9 [21.6–21.9]

22.2 [21.6–22.5]

22.0 [21.6–22.5]

0.660

Prevalence of positive skin prick tests (%)

 Any positive

0.0

0.0

100.0

100.0

1.000^^

 HDM

0.0

0.0

100.0

100.0

1.000^^

 Egg white

0.0

0.0

4.2

12.5

0.327^^

 Mold

0.0

0.0

16.7

25.0

0.519^^

 Grass mix

0.0

0.0

45.8

50.0

0.796^^

 Cow’s milk

0.0

0.0

0.0

6.3

0.215^^

 Grass pollen

0.0

0.0

50.0

50.0

1.000^^

 Dog

0.0

0.0

20.8

31.3

0.456^^

 Cockroach

0.0

0.0

29.2

50.0

0.182^^

 Fungus

0.0

0.0

12.5

18.8

0.588^^

 Cat

0.0

0.0

33.3

75.0

0.0106^^

HDM SPT wheal diameter (mm):

 Sum of D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

10.3 [6.0–17.3]

15.9 [10.0–20.2]

0.062^^

 Participants with IgE data (n):

19

7

23

14

 

 HDM-IgE ≥ 0.35 kU/L (%)

5.3 a

14.3 a,b

69.6 b,c

100 c

<0.001

Baseline lung function measures from all participants:

 FEV1

4.0 [3.4–4.5]

3.6 [3.2–4.9]

4.2 [3.4–4.6]

3.5 [2.9–5.0]

0.809

 FEV1% of predicted

100.1 [88.6–102.9]

104.3 [97.7–105.1]

96.1 [89.1–106.5]

93.2 [85.5–102.6]

0.445

 FEV1 (z score)

0.0 [−1–0.3]

0.4 [−0.2–0.4]

−0.3 [−0.9–0.6]

−0.6 [−1.2–0.2]

0.445

 FVC

4.7 [3.7–5.7]

4.2 [3.8–5.8]

5.1 [4.3–5.9]

4.6 [3.7–6.4]

0.767

 FVC % of predicted

96.6 [94.5–106.2]

104.0 [96.3–111.6]

100.5 [95.9–109.6]

100.9 [89.0–105.9]

0.596

 FVC (z score)

−0.3 [−0.5–0.5]

0.3 [−0.3–1.0]

0.0 [−0.4–0.8]

0.1 [−0.9–0.5]

0.627

 FEV1/FVC

0.85 [0.80 −.0.89]

0.88 [0.79–0.91]

0.84 [0.77–0.87]

0.79 [0.76–0.84]

0.136

 FEV1/FVC % of predicted

0.87 [0.85–0.88]

0.87 [0.85–0.88]

0.86 [0.85–0.87]

0.86 [0.85–0.88]

0.608

 Forced exhaled nitric oxide, ppb

25.5 [19.5–30.0] a

24.0 [17.9–39.1] a

31.5 [22.2–58.2] a

47.2 [35.1–88.7] b

0.004

  1. Median [interquartile range] is displayed for all continuous measures. P value is derived from analyses comparing the four groups: prevalence values were compared by Chi square analysis; continuous measures were compared by Kruskal Wallis analysis. Where significant differences were observed between the four group groups (P < 0.05 in table), each letter denotes sputum groups that do not differ significantly at the 0.05 level after adjusting for multiple pair-wise comparisons (e.g. a vs a = not significantly different, a vs b = significantly different). *Data was missing for 1 participant in each group. ^Wheezing groups only were compared by Mann Whitney U test. ^^Atopic groups only were compared by Chi square (IgE binary variables) or Mann Whitney U test (SPT wheal diameter). Skin prick test were classified positive if wheal diameter was ≥3 mm. Baseline spirometry data are reported in absolute terms, in addition to z score and predicted terms that were calculated using the 2012 Global Lung Function Initiative equations72.
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