Table 1 Patient demographics, microbiological and clinical results stratified after FEV₁ at serum sampling and persistent A. fumigatus detection

Age [years (min-max)]

19.3 (4–51)

24.0 (6–51)

15.7 (7–31)

< 0.001

17.9 (4–51)

24.8 (10–51)

0.001

Sex [female/male]

43/61

22/33

17/25

0.962

32/50

11/11

0.353

BMI [kg/m² (± STD)]

19.7 (± 3.9)

20.4 (± 3.6)

19.2 (± 3.6)

0.114

19.2 (± 3.7)

21.6 (± 3.8)

0.006

Mean BDG [pg/ml (± STD)]

50 (± 84)

68 (± 100)

32 (± 57)

0.003

40 (± 63)

89 (± 131)

0.022

Median BDG [pg/ml (IQR)]

22 (3–62)

37 (12–82)

11 (0–42)

18 (2–48)

50 (14–115)

BDG [normal/elevated, (% elevated)]

77/27 (26.0%)

36/19 (34.5%)

36/6 (14.3%)

0.024

66/16 (19.5%)

11/11 (50.0%)

0.004

Mean GM [ODI (± STD)]

0.18 (± 0.22)

0.22 (± 0.28)

0.14 (± 0.10)

0.150

0.15 (± 0.12)

0.30 (± 0.40)

0.013

Median GM [ODI (IQR)]

0.10 (0.1–0.2)

0.10 (0.1–0.2)

0.10 (0.1–0.1)

0.10 (0.1–0.1)

0.10 (0.1–0.3)

GM [normal/elevated, (% elevated)]

97/7 (6.7%)

49/6 (10.9%)

41/1 (2.4%)

0.108

78/4 (4.9%)

19/3 (13.6%)

0.145

Persistent A. fumigatus detection [no. of patients (%)]

22 (21.2%)

16 (29.1%)

6 (14.3%)

0.084

–

–

–

A. fumigatus-specific antibodies [normal/elevated, (% elevated)]

100/4 (3.8%)

52/3 (5.5%)

41/1 (2.4%)

0.451

78/4 (4.9%)

22/0 (0%)

0.291

A. fumigatus-specific IgE level [kU/l, (± STD)]

3.8 (± 9.9)

5.2 (± 11.3)

2.3 (± 8.2)

0.004

4.5 (± 10.9)

1.1 (± 2.0)

0.687

rAsp f4-IgE level [kUA/l, (± STD)]

0.5 (± 2.5)

0.7 (± 3.1)

0.3 (± 1.5)

0.073

0.6 (± 2.7)

0.1 (± 0.2)

0.879

rAsp f6-IgE level [kUA/l (± STD)]

0.5 (± 2.3)

0.7 (± 3.0)

0.1 (± 0.7)

0.245

0.6 (± 2.5)

0.0 (± 0.0)

0.118

S. aureus detection [no. of patients (%)]

11 (10.6%)

2 (3.6%)

7 (16.7%)

0.028

10 (12.2%)

1 (4.5%)

0.300

P. aeruginosa detection [no. of patients (%)]

35 (33.7%)

31 (56.4%)

4 (9.5%)

< 0.001

22 (26.8%)

13 (59.1%)

0.004

 against alkaline protease

70/14 (16.7%)

26/12 (31.6%)

38/1 (2.6%)

0.001

62/10 (13.9%)

8/4 (33.3%)

0.094

 against elastase

69/15 (17.9%)

25/13 (34.2%)

38/1 (2.6%)

< 0.001

60/12 (16.7%)

9/3 (25.0%)

0.485

 against exotoxin A

65/19 (22.6%)

24/14 (36.8%)

34/5 (12.8%)

0.015

58/14 (19.4%)

7/5 (41.7%)

0.088

WBC [× 10³/μl (± STD)]

9.1 (± 4.3)

10.1 (± 5.2)

7.5 (± 2.4)

0.002

8.8 (± 3.3)

10.1 (± 7.0)

0.891

CRP [mg/l (± STD)]

6.5 (± 19.1)

11.6 (± 25.1)

0.7 (± 1.0)

< 0.001

4.6 (± 12.2)

13.6 (± 33.6)

0.114

Total IgG [lowered/normal/elevated]

12/62/25

3/26/21

7/31/4

0.002

12/49/19

0/13/6

0.187

Total IgE level [normal/elevated, (% elevated)]

65/37 (36.3%)

27/26 (49.1%)

33/9 (21.4%)

0.006

54/27

11/10

0.225

Fatty acid-binding protein 2 [pg/ml (± STD)]

2407 (± 1471)

2279 (± 1429)

2565 (± 1524)

0.248

2540 (± 1574)

1889 (± 871)

0.115

FEV₁ at serum sampling [% predicted (± STD)]

73.1 (± 24.1)

55.8 (± 15.9)

95.8 (± 9.9)

–

75.7 (± 23.9)

64.2 (± 23.1)

0.057

Cough frequency [none/temporarily/permanently/at night]

11/64/19/6

1/33/14/4

8/28/4/1

0.007

11/50/16/4

0/14/3/2

0.278

Number of pulmonary exacerbations within the last 12 months

0.56 (± 0.77)

0.76 (± 0.90)

0.40 (± 0.55)

0.044

0.52 (± 0.72)

0.74 (± 0.93)

0.293

Systemic antibiotic therapy at serum sampling [no. of patients (%)]

30 (28.8%)

19 (34.5%)

10 (23.8%)

0.252

23 (28.0%)

7 (31.8%)

0.729

 12 month before serum sampling

1.6 (± 2.0)

2.2 (± 2.3)

0.9 (± 1.1)

< 0.001

1.4 (± 1.6)

2.2 (± 3.0)

0.477

 6 month after serum sampling

1.0 (± 1.4)

1.3 (± 1.7)

0.5 (± 0.8)

0.008

0.8 (± 1.1)

1.5 (± 2.4)

0.314

Nebulized antibiotic [none/temporarily/permanently]

 12 month before serum sampling

58/16/30

18/9/28

33/7/2

< 0.001

54/11/17

4/5/13

< 0.001

 at serum sampling

51/38

14/34

30/4

< 0.001

48/23

3/15

< 0.001

 6 month after serum sampling

57/21/26

17/14/24

33/7/2

< 0.001

52/16/14

5/5/15

0.001

Inhaled corticosteroids [no. of patients (%)]

14 (14.6%)

9 (18.4%)

5 (12.5%)

0.449

9 (11.7%)

5 (26.3%)

0.106

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency [no. of patients (%)]

93 (89.4%)

50 (90.9%)

39 (92.9%)

0.730

72 (87.8%)

21 (95.5%)

0.300

CF-related diabetes mellitus [no. of patients (%)]

11 (10.6%)

8 (14.5%)

3 (7.1%)

0.255

9 (11.0%)

2 (9.1%)

0.799

CF-related liver disease [no. of patients (%)]

30 (28.8%)

16 (29.1%)

14 (33.3%)

0.654

22 (27.8%)

8 (32.0%)

0.729