Table 1 Demographic, clinical, and inflammatory characteristics in patients with asthma and healthy person

N

22

255

–

Age, years

54 ± 14

51 ± 14

NS

Sex (M/F)

11/11

116/140

NS

BMI (kg/m²)

23.7 ± 2.6

23.7 ± 3.4

NS

Ex-smokers (n) (pack-years)

10 (5.8 (4.4, 6.6))

104 (20.3 (9.8, 37.0))

NS

Pre-FVC

3.3 (2.7, 4.0)

2.9 (2.2, 3.6)

< 0.001

Pre-FEV1

2.7 (2.2, 3.2)

1.7 (1.1, 2.4)

NS

FEV1/FVC (%)

79.2 ± 6.2

60.1 ± 13.8

< 0.001

FEV1% predicted

78 (74.6, 82.4)

64.3 (41.2, 82.9)

0.002

Sputum TCC (10⁶/mL)

2.4 (1.4, 5.1)

3 (1.8, 5.8)

NS

Sputum eosinophils (%)

0.1 (0, 0.4)

2 (0.2, 9.9)

< 0.001

Sputum neutrophils (%)

9.6 (4.1, 22.1)

1.6 (0.2, 11.6)

0.030

Sputum macrophages (%)

84 (72.4, 90.6)

81.4 (46.8, 93.9)

NS

Sputum lymphocytes (%)

2 (1, 4.2)

2.3 (0.6, 7.2)

NS