Table 1. Clinical characteristics grouped by airway inflammation phenotypes in the validation set Table 1. Clinical characteristics grouped by airway inflammation phenotypes in the validation set Table 1. Clinical characteristics grouped by airway inflammation phenotypes in the validation set Table 1. Clinical characteristics grouped by airway inflammation phenotypes in the validation set Table 1. Clinical characteristics grouped by airway inflammation phenotypes in the validation set Table 1. Clinical characteristics grouped by airway inflammation phenotypes in the validation set
Variables EA NA PGA χ2/F/Z P value
n 35 30 49
Female, n (%) 24(68.6) 19(63.3) 24(49) 3.584 0.167
Age, yrs 45.37±10.58 51.94±13.34b 44.10±12.08d 4.220 0.017
BMI, kg/m2 23.68±2.86 23.28±3.78 24.63±4.13 1.404 0.250
Family history, n (%) 10(28.6) 14(46.7) 15(30.6) 2.844 0.241
Age onset, yrs 34.00(8.00,42.00) 39.00(22.50, 50.75) 33.00(16.50, 39.50) 3.050 0.218
Asthma duration, yrs 11.62(3.31, 35.26) 10.92(4.61, 22.22) 10.21(4.06, 20.42) 0.661 0.719
Severe asthma, n (%) 3(8.6) 5(16.7) 5(10.2) 1.170 0.557
BDP, ug 200(80, 400) 400(400, 1000) 400(0, 800) 12.516 0.002
LTRA, n (%) 15(42.9) 10(33.3) 18(36.7) 0.659 0.719
Theophylline, n (%) 3(8.6) 10(33.3) 11(22.4) 6.060 0.048
Exacerbation in previous 12 months,n(%) 14(40) 11(36.7) 15(30.6) 0.835 0.659
Atopic comorbidity
Anaphylactic rhinitis, n(%)
23(65.7)
9(31)
25(51)
7.642
0.022
Eczema, n(%)
7(20)
8(26.7)
8(16.3)
1.236
0.539
SPT, n (%) 16(45.7) 12(40) 23(46.9) 7.790 0.100
ACQ 0.50(0.17, 1.83) 0.83(0.33, 1.33) 0.33(0.00, 1.17) 4.533 0.103
AQLQ 5.63(4.87, 6.42) 5.90(5.28, 6.42) 6.13(5.58, 6.59) 3.471 0.176
Pre-bronchodilator r
FEV1, L 2.02±0.61 1.74±0.57 2.45±0.98b,c 8.370 <0.001
FEV1, %pred 69.69±19.41 63.73±20.05 77.39±20.64c 4.477 0.013
FVC, L 3.19±0.73 2.83±0.63 3.46±1.10c 4.730 0.011
FVC, % 91.77±17.75 85.07±12.451 91.88±17.02 1.930 0.150
FEV1/FVC, % 63.00±11.02 61.57±15.43 70.07±12.90b,c 4.972 0.009
Post-bronchodilator
FEV1, L 2.29±0.61 1.89±0.64b 2.61±0.88c 8.236 <0.001
FEV1, % 73.79±18.85 68.44±19.37b 84.30±17.05c 6.749 0.002
FVC, L 3.39±0.70 3.01±0.67 3.56±0.98c 3.811 0.025
FVC, % 99.16±15.99 89.36±10.56a 95.99±13.62d 3.995 0.021
BDR
Δ FEV1, L 0.29(0.16, 0.46) 0.17(0.05, 0.25)a 0.15(0.04, 0.32)a 10.118 0.006
Δ FEV1, % 18.06(7.30, 29.06) 10.68(3.47, 18.25)b 6.80(1.27, 17.08)a 9.364 0.009
FeNO, ppb 53.50(38.50, 79.75) 26.50(17.75, 49.25)b 29.50(14.25, 49.75)b 14.470 0.001
IgE, IU/mL 119.71(46.80, 378.21) 88.76(26.16, 391.25) 82.83(4547, 347.16) 0.871 0.647
Sputum cytology
Total cell 0.30(0.4, 0.42) 0.68(0.42, 1.23) 0.26(0.13, 0.54) 24.495 <0.001
Eosinophil, % 14.63(7.44, 38.75) 0.00(0.00, 0.25)a 0.00(0.00, 0.38)a 78.829 <0.001
Eosinophil, ×104/mL 4.24(1.50, 10.66) 0.00(0.00, 0.16) 0.00(0.00, 0.08) 74.370 <0.001
Neutrophil, % 26.00(13.00, 43.00) 90.25(78.50, 98.31)a 17.75(6.75, 35.25)b,c 67.844 <0.001
Neutrophil, ×104/mL 5.55(2.97, 12.83) 57.33(32.13, 107.30) 3.80(1.32, 11.19) 57.524 <0.001
Lymphocyte, % 1.00(0.50, 1.50) 0.50(0.25, 0.75)b 0.75(0.25, 2.00)d 6.245 0.044
Lymphocyte, ×104/mL 0.24(0.05, 0.41) 0.30(0.10, 0.53) 0.25(0.06, 0.65) 0.510 0.775
Macrophage, % 48.13(28.75, 66.63) 8.63(1.38, 19.31)a 80.50(63.75, 92.00)a,c 76.359 <0.001
Macrophage, ×104/mL 11.04(8.01, 19.08) 5.85(1.05, 12.57) 21.60(8.32, 39.80) 23.856 <0.001
Sputum cytokines
TNF-α, pg/mL 6.13(2.67, 13.12) 32.58(5.53, 58.27)a 12.24(5.07, 26.46)a 13.398 <0.001
IFN-γ, pg/mL 2.01(1.80, 2.77) 2.18(1.90, 2.44) 2.01(1.66, 2.631) 0.631 0.729
IL-1β, pg/mL 8.28(4.44, 18.38) 64.30(21.35, 286.80)a 18.14(5.63, 57.70)b,c 20.533 <0.001
IL-4, pg/mL 43.75(21.99, 67.96) 52.19(35.78, 59.16) 43.75(10.30, 65.42) 1.543 0.462
IL-5, pg/mL 2.49(1.40, 7.21) 0.83(0.72, 1.26)a 1.23(0.87, 1.85)a,c 25.185 <0.001
IL-6, pg/mL 10.92(3.74, 19.94) 22.76(2.76, 46.12) 19.57(7.26, 46.62) 4.320 0.115
IL-8, pg/mL 953.15(426.06, 1517.75) 1307.50(701.92, 3757.75)a 1209.0(732.36, 1976.50)b 9.165 0.010
IL-13, pg/mL 3.33(1.95, 8.69) 3.39(2.14, 4.50) 3.62(2.44, 5.64) 1.687 0.430
IL-17A, pg/mL 2.08(1.58, 3.18) 3.56(2.11, 5.08)a 2.66(1.72, 4.18) 8.764 0.013
MDC, pg/mL 41.09(20.57, 75.15) 38.58(24.70, 64.29) 46.01(26.46, 75.14) 2.487 0.288
Exacerbation in the 12-month follow-up
Withdraw, n (%) 0(0) 3(10) 3(6.1) 3.367 0.186
Severe exacerbation, n (%) 6(17.1) 10(37) 3(6.5)c 10.935 0.004
Severe exacerbation times 0.29±0.75 0.70±1.33 0.09±0.35c 10.965 0.004
Emergency Visit, n (%) 3(8.6) 2(7.4) 2(4.3) 0.636 0.728
Emergency Visit times 0.11±0.40 0.07±0.27 0.09±0.41 0.552 0.759
Hospitalization, n (%) 5(14.3) 5(18.5) 3(6.5) 2.560 0.278
Hospitalization times 0.26±0.74 0.26±0.66 0.09±0.35 2.513 0.285
EA, eosinophilic asthma; NA, neutrophilic asthma; PGA, paucigranulocytic asthma; BMI, body mass index; BDP, beclomethasone dipropionate; LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonist; SPT, skin prick test; BDR, bronchodilator responsiveness; ACQ, asthma control questionnaire; AQLQ, asthma quality of life questionnaire; FeNO, fractional exhaled nitric oxide; IL, interleukin; IFN, interferon; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; MDC, macrophage-derived chemokines; Vs. EA, aP < 0.01, bP < 0.05; Vs. NA, cP < 0.01, dP < 0.05 EA, eosinophilic asthma; NA, neutrophilic asthma; PGA, paucigranulocytic asthma; BMI, body mass index; BDP, beclomethasone dipropionate; LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonist; SPT, skin prick test; BDR, bronchodilator responsiveness; ACQ, asthma control questionnaire; AQLQ, asthma quality of life questionnaire; FeNO, fractional exhaled nitric oxide; IL, interleukin; IFN, interferon; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; MDC, macrophage-derived chemokines; Vs. EA, aP < 0.01, bP < 0.05; Vs. NA, cP < 0.01, dP < 0.05 EA, eosinophilic asthma; NA, neutrophilic asthma; PGA, paucigranulocytic asthma; BMI, body mass index; BDP, beclomethasone dipropionate; LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonist; SPT, skin prick test; BDR, bronchodilator responsiveness; ACQ, asthma control questionnaire; AQLQ, asthma quality of life questionnaire; FeNO, fractional exhaled nitric oxide; IL, interleukin; IFN, interferon; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; MDC, macrophage-derived chemokines; Vs. EA, aP < 0.01, bP < 0.05; Vs. NA, cP < 0.01, dP < 0.05 EA, eosinophilic asthma; NA, neutrophilic asthma; PGA, paucigranulocytic asthma; BMI, body mass index; BDP, beclomethasone dipropionate; LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonist; SPT, skin prick test; BDR, bronchodilator responsiveness; ACQ, asthma control questionnaire; AQLQ, asthma quality of life questionnaire; FeNO, fractional exhaled nitric oxide; IL, interleukin; IFN, interferon; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; MDC, macrophage-derived chemokines; Vs. EA, aP < 0.01, bP < 0.05; Vs. NA, cP < 0.01, dP < 0.05 EA, eosinophilic asthma; NA, neutrophilic asthma; PGA, paucigranulocytic asthma; BMI, body mass index; BDP, beclomethasone dipropionate; LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonist; SPT, skin prick test; BDR, bronchodilator responsiveness; ACQ, asthma control questionnaire; AQLQ, asthma quality of life questionnaire; FeNO, fractional exhaled nitric oxide; IL, interleukin; IFN, interferon; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; MDC, macrophage-derived chemokines; Vs. EA, aP < 0.01, bP < 0.05; Vs. NA, cP < 0.01, dP < 0.05 EA, eosinophilic asthma; NA, neutrophilic asthma; PGA, paucigranulocytic asthma; BMI, body mass index; BDP, beclomethasone dipropionate; LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonist; SPT, skin prick test; BDR, bronchodilator responsiveness; ACQ, asthma control questionnaire; AQLQ, asthma quality of life questionnaire; FeNO, fractional exhaled nitric oxide; IL, interleukin; IFN, interferon; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; MDC, macrophage-derived chemokines; Vs. EA, aP < 0.01, bP < 0.05; Vs. NA, cP < 0.01, dP < 0.05