Sputum cell counts in acute asthma
| Visit 1 | Visit 2 | |||
| Noninfective | Infective | Noninfective | Infective | |
| Nebulizer time min | 2.6±1.7 | 2.8±1.9 | 4.8±1.6 | 4.9±1.6 |
| TCC×106·mL−1 | 2.8±2.9 | 8.3±2.5* | 3.3±2.2 | 2.2±1.5*** |
| Neutrophils×106·mL−1 | 0.8±5 | 5.1±12.1* | 1.4±2.2 | 0.8±3.4*** |
| Neutrophils % | 31.6±2.5 | 63.1±3.2 | 36.6±2 | 39.8±1.6 |
| Eosinophils×106·mL−1 | 0.2±4.5 | 0.2±2.5 | 0.01±4.5 | 0.03±2.5 |
| Eosinophils % | 7.2±3.3 | 1.5±3.4 | 2.5±2*** | 1.2±6.7 |
| Macrophages % | 40.5±1.8 | 18.2±3.7 | 44.7±1.5 | 45.7±2 |
| Lymphocytes % | 1.1±2.2 | 1.1±2.5 | 1.7±2 | 1±3 |
| Epithelial cells % | 2.7±2.7 | 3.3±5.5 | 1.4±1.3 | 2.2±6.1 |
| Squamous cells % | 4.9±2.7 | 4.6±3.1 | 5±3.3 | 4.4±1.2 |
| IL-8 ng·mL−1 | 20.9±5.5 | 35±3.7 | 11.8±6.1 | 17.8±6.1 |
| IL-5 positive cells % | 15.6±1.8 | 8.4±1.6 | 2±0.4 | 1.4±1.8 |
| ECP ng·mL−1 | 3072±55 | 3090±49 | 460±5*** | 398±18 |
| Neutrophil elastase µg·mL−1 | 169±3.3 | 3129±7.4* | 100±2.5 | 120±9.6*** |
| LDH IU·mL−1 | 182±2.2 | 550±16* | 54±12.7*** | 64±1.9*** |
Data are presented as mean±sd
TCC: total cell count
IL: interleukin
ECP: eosinophil cationic protein
LDH: lactate dehydrogenase
IU: international units. The analysis was carried out using unpaired t-tests on log-transformed data
*: p<0.05, significantly higher than subjects with noninfective acute asthma at Visit 1
#: p<0.05, significantly higher than subjects with infection and acute asthma at Visit 1
***: p<0.001, significantly lower than Visit 1