Measurement | Patient group | ||
Exacerbated COPD | Stable COPD | Nonobstructed smokers | |
Patients n | 136 | 68 | 16 |
Sex M/F n | 64/72 | 30/38 | 4/12 |
Age yrs | 70.2±9.4 | 66.3±9.4 | 52.2±7.6** |
FEV1 L (% pred) | 0.84±0.47 (39) | 1.00±0.53 (48)* | 2.60±0.56 (105)** |
FEV1/FVC % | 50 | 51 | 78 |
Smoking status current/ex-smoker | 49:76# | 32:30¶ | 10:6 |
Smoking pack-yrs | 48.0±39.2 | 42.2±26.0 | 44.0±21.5 |
Inhaled corticosteroid use n (%) | 94 (69) | 53 (80) | 0 (0) |
Inhaled steroid BDP μg·day−1 | 800 (0–1000) | 800 (400–950) | |
Bronchial epithelial cell count ×104 mm−3 | 1.0 (0.13–3.81) | 2.63 (0.82–8.00) | 2.69 (0.91–5.84) |
Squamous cell count ×104 mm−3 | 0 (0–2.0) | 0 (0–7.0) | 2 (0.75–5.5) |
GAPDH copy number log | 8.11±1.27 | 7.95±0.95 | 7.36±1.07 |
EBV positive n (%) | 65 (48) | 31 (46) | 1* (6) |
EBV copy number log | 4.08±1.67 | 4.71±1.54 | 4.57 |
EBV copy number normalised for GAPDH log | 1.01±0.48 | 1.47±0.63 | 1.73 |
Data are presented as mean±SD or median (interquartile range), unless otherwise stated. COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; M: male; F: female; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second; % pred: % predicted; FVC: forced vital capacity; BDP: beclomethasone dipropionate (or equivalent); GADPH: reduced glyceraldehydes phosphate dehydrogenase; EBV: Epstein–Barr virus. #: excluding 11 subjects who were lifelong smokers; ¶: excluding six subjects who were lifelong smokers. *: p<0.05; **: p<0.01.