Table 1 Baseline characteristics of COPD patients with acute exacerbations
From: The association between eosinophilic exacerbation and eosinophilic levels in stable COPD
| < 2% vs. ≥ 2% eosinophils | < 300 cells per µL vs. ≥ 300 cells per uL | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-eosinophilic (n = 247) | Eosinophilic (n = 100) | P value | Non-eosinophilic (n = 299) | Eosinophilic (n = 48) | P value | |
| Male | 169 (68.4) | 85 (85.0) | 0.002 | 217 (72.6) | 37 (77.1) | 0.513 |
| Age (year) | 73.31 ± 8.83 | 71.30 ± 10.55 | 0.071 | 73.36 ± 8.99 | 68.79 ± 10.83 | 0.002 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 21.68 ± 3.95 | 22.41 ± 3.51 | 0.134 | 21.82 ± 3.86 | 22.35 ± 3.66 | 0.409 |
| Allergy history | 4 (1.6) | 7 (7.0) | 0.032 | 5 (1.7) | 6 (12.5) | < 0.001 |
| Asthma history | 52 (21.1) | 17 (17.0) | 0.392 | 60 (20.1) | 9 (18.8) | 0.832 |
| Smoking history | ||||||
| Never | 75 (30.4) | 17 (17.0) | 0.011 | 82 (27.4) | 10 (20.8) | 0.337 |
| Ex-smoker | 110 (44.5) | 56 (56.0) | 0.053 | 143 (47.8) | 23 (47.9) | 0.991 |
| Current smoker | 52 (21.1) | 22 (22.0) | 0.845 | 62 (20.7) | 12 (25.0) | 0.503 |
| Smoking (pack-year) | 36.96 ± 32.23 | 44.60 ± 28.76 | 0.072 | 39.53 ± 32.72 | 37.43 ± 20.98 | 0.714 |
| Blood eosinophil count at stable state | 183.78 ± 150.37 | 284.33 ± 244.00 | < 0.001 | 192.98 ± 153.57 | 335.98 ± 302.54 | < 0.001 |
| ≥ 1 hospital admission in the previous year | 81 (32.8) | 25 (25.0) | 0.153 | 95 (31.8) | 11 (22.9) | 0.216 |
| COPD medication | ||||||
| ICS | 7 (2.8) | 1 (1.0) | 0.303 | 7 (2.3) | 1 (2.1) | 0.912 |
| LAMA | 123 (49.8) | 44 (44.0) | 0.328 | 144 (48.2) | 23 (47.9) | 0.975 |
| LABA | 12 (4.9) | 6 (6.0) | 0.664 | 15 (5.0) | 3 (6.3) | 0.721 |
| ICS + LABA | 129 (52.2) | 32 (32.0) | 0.001 | 146 (48.8) | 15 (31.3) | 0.023 |
| PDE4 inhibitor | 15 (6.1) | 1 (1.0) | 0.041 | 16 (5.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0.101 |
| Gold | ||||||
| 1 | 15 (6.1) | 6 (6.0) | 0.979 | 18 (6.0) | 3 (6.3) | 0.951 |
| 2 | 81 (32.8) | 38 (38.0) | 0.355 | 101 (33.8) | 18 (37.5) | 0.614 |
| 3 | 118 (47.8) | 48 (48.0) | 0.969 | 143 (47.8) | 23 (47.9) | 0.991 |
| 4 | 33 (13.4) | 8 (8.0) | 0.161 | 37 (12.4) | 4 (8.3) | 0.421 |
| Post-BD FEV1/FVC | 45.28 ± 11.38 | 44.90 ± 10.76 | 0.774 | 45.07 ± 11.43 | 45.82 ± 9.68 | 0.669 |
| Post-BD FVC (L) | 2.38 ± 1.52 | 2.66 ± 0.85 | 0.081 | 2.43 ± 1.43 | 2.65 ± 0.83 | 0.307 |
| Post-BD FVC (%) | 73.65 ± 22.22 | 78.72 ± 24.49 | 0.063 | 74.54 ± 22.39 | 78.70 ± 26.31 | 0.244 |
| Post-BD FEV1 (L) | 1.01 ± 0.41 | 1.19 ± 0.47 | 0.001 | 1.01 ± 0.41 | 1.19 ± 0.47 | 0.001 |
| Post-BD FEV1 (%) | 47.86 ± 17.51 | 50.36 ± 20.86 | 0.255 | 47.86 ± 17.51 | 50.36 ± 20.86 | 0.255 |
| Treatment during AE | ||||||
| Steroid only | 11 (4.5) | 20 (20.0) | < 0.001 | 18 (6.0) | 13 (27.1) | < 0.001 |
| Antibiotics only | 14 (5.7) | 3 (3.0) | 0.297 | 15 (5.0) | 2 (4.2) | 0.800 |
| Steroid + antibiotics | 216 (87.4) | 68 (68.0) | < 0.001 | 253 (84.6) | 31 (64.6) | 0.001 |