Asthmatic | Healthy controls | |||||
Smokers | Never-smokers | p-value | Smokers | Never-smokers | p-value | |
Subjects n | 39 | 36 | 30 | 48 | ||
Total IgE IU·mL-1 | 87 (41–239) | 138 (60–590) | 0.12 | 47 (13–74) | 32 (14–111) | 0.82 |
Specific IgE positive % | 62 | 91 | 0.004 | 29 | 46 | 0.13 |
Serum cotinine ng·mL-1 | 304 (131–375)* | 2.6 (2–3) | <0.001 | 366 (310–421) | 2.6 (2.3–3.8) | <0.001 |
Exhaled CO ppm | 22 (16–30) | 4.3 (4–5) | <0.001 | 18.42 (14.2–22.4) | 3.79 (3.2–4.16) | <0.001 |
Exhaled NO ppb | 5.1 (2.6–7.8) | 18.2 (12.5–28.6) | <0.001 | 4.3 (2.9–8.1) | 7.4 (5.6–8.7) | 0.006 |
Induced sputum cell counts | ||||||
Macrophages % | 50 (24–67) | 51 (26–67) | 0.93 | |||
Neutrophils % | 42 (23–66) | 31 (13–44) | 0.07 | |||
Eosinophils % | 1.0 (0.5–2.7) | 2.0 (0.5–5.5) | 0.51 | |||
Lymphocytes % | 1.7 (1–2.6) | 2.5 (0.9–4) | 0.61 | |||
Bronchial epithelial cells % | 2.6 (0.9–6.6) | 5.8 (3.5–9.4) | 0.020 |
Data are presented as median (interquartile range), unless otherwise stated. Ig: immunoglobulin; CO: carbon monoxide; NO: nitric oxide. *: p<0.05, asthmatic versus healthy smokers.