Sputum neutrophil and eosinophil cell percentages in swimmers and cold-air athletes, according to their exercise-induced respiratory symptoms (EIS)
| Sputum indices | Swimmers | Cold-air athletes | ||
| With EIS | Without EIS | With EIS | Without EIS | |
| Subjects n | 17 | 15 | 20 | 12 |
| Neutrophils % | 35.3 (32.0–38.7)# | 39.2 (35.8–42.7)# | 27.1 (25.1–29.2)* | 56.7 (52.9–60.5) |
| Eosinophils % | 0.6 (0.4–0.8) | 2.1 (1.7–2.5)### | 0.3 (0.3–0.4) | 1.0 (0.5–1.4) |
Inflammatory cell data are expressed as mean (95% confidence interval). EIS include wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and/or cough. *: p<0.05 versus athletes without EIS; #: p<0.05 and ###: p<0.001 versus cold-air athletes.