Inflammation and corticosteroid responsiveness in ex-, current- and never-smoking asthmatics

BMC Pulmonary Medicine

Table 4 Treatment differences between ex-, current- and never-smokers after 1-year ICS treatment

	Ex-smokers (n=16)	p-value	Current-smokers (n=16)	p-value	Never-smokers (n=32)	p-value
Age (years)	37 (27, 40)		29 (25, 36)		25 (25, 34)
Gender (male/female)	9 / 12		7 / 10		10 / 27
Treatment (FP500/self management)	11 / 10		6 / 11		20 / 17
ΔFEV₁ (L)	0.15 (0.00, 0.60)	0.010	0.17 (-0.07, 0.82)	0.052	0.35 (0.22, 0.71)	<0.001
ΔFEV₁ (%predicted)	5.1 (0.4, 13.9)	0.011	3.1 (-1.7, 21.5)	0.058	10.2 (6.4, 20.1)	<0.001
ΔPC₂₀ methacholine (doubling concentrations)	2.7 (1.5, 5.7)	0.002	2.3 (1.4, 3.1)	<0.001	4.4 (2.1, 5.5)	<0.001
ΔSputum eosinophils (%)	-2.7 (-4.5, -0.3)	0.005	-2.0 (-14.3, -0.1)	0.029	-7.0 (11.9, -1.3)	<0.001
ΔBlood eosinophils (×10⁹/L)	-0.04 (-0.05, 0.02)	<0.001	-0.04 (-0.08, 0.05)	<0.001	-0.16 (-0.26, -0.04)	<0.001
ΔSputum ECP (μg/L)	11 (-5, 33)	0.194	-11 (-165, 6)	0.096	-19 (-73, 3)	0.023
ΔSerum ECP (μg/L)	0.1 (-3.1, 2.3)	0.576	-1.8 (-12.8, 2.9)	0.268	-9.2 (-19.3, -4.1)	<0.001
ΔSputum neutrophils (10⁹/L)	8.5 (-18.2, 23.3)	0.126	4.8 (-22.2, 24.3)	0.641	6.9 (-5.1, 24.6)	0.077
ΔBlood neutrophils (10⁹/L)	0.32 (-0.51, 0.70)	<0.001	-0.15 (-0.87, 0.21)	<0.001	-0.40 (-0.78, 0.39)	<0.001
ΔExhaled NO (ppb)	-4.9 (-7.1, 2.1)	0.182	-6.1 (-9.3, 2.9)	0.033	-4.4 (-7.9, -1.4)	0.002

Values are presented as median change from baseline with interquartile range. ICS inhaled corticosteroids, FP500 fluticasone propionate 500 μg/day, FEV ₁ forced expiratory volume in one second, PC ₂₀ provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV ₁, AMP adenosine-5′-monophosphate, ECP eosinophilic cationic protein, NO nitric oxide, ppb parts per billion.

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