Subjects n | 523 | 268 | 255 | |
Age years | 39.9±16.6 | 43.2±15.9 | 36.5±16.8 | <0.0001 |
Sex female % | 51.0 | 57.5 | 44.3 | 0.003 |
Body mass index kg·m−2 | 23.7±3.9 | 23.8±3.8 | 23.5±4.0 | 0.4 |
Smoking habits % | | | | |
Never smokers | 51.6 | 49.6 | 53.7 | |
Ex-smokers | 25.3 | 28.0 | 22.4 | 0.3 |
Current smokers | 23.1 | 22.4 | 23.9 | |
Asthma % | | | | |
Ever asthma | 48.7 | | 100.0 | |
Current asthma | 40.5 | | 83.1 | |
Age at asthma onset % | | | 237 | |
0–4 years | | | 36.7 | |
4–16 years | | | 39.7 | |
>16 years | | | 23.6 | |
Symptomatic score# | 1.17±1.35 (517) | 0.51±0.81 (266) | 1.86±1.46 (251) | <0.0001 |
Asthma control (GINA 2006) % | | | | |
Controlled | 20.6 | | 42.3 | |
Partly controlled | 10.7 | | 22.0 | |
Uncontrolled | 8.2 | | 16.9 | |
Eosinophilia (cells >5%) % | 12.4 | 6.7 | 18.4 | <0.0001 |
Eosinophilic asthma (≥250 cells per mm2) % | | | 36.5 | |
FEV1 % pred | 103.4±17.2 | 108.5±16.6 | 98.0±17.5 | <0.0001 |
Methacholine test¶ (PD20 ≤4 mg) % | 45.4 | 28.8 | 65.1 | <0.0001 |
Inhaled corticosteroids past 12 months % | 20.6 | 2.2 | 40.0 | <0.0001 |
Inhaled corticosteroids past 3 months % | 7.3 | 0.0 | 14.9 | |
SPT+ and current rhinitis | | | | |
SPT+ % | 58.1 | 38.8 | 78.4 | <0.0001 |
SPTQ (median number of SPT+) | 1 (0–3) | 0 (0–1) | 2 (1–4) | <0.0001 |
Current rhinitis % | 39.2 | 22.3 | 56.9 | <0.0001 |
SPT+ and current rhinitis % | 32.9 | 18.0 | 48.6 | <0.0001 |
Biological phenotypes (geometric means) | | | | |
EBC NO2−/NO3− μmol per mg proteins | 2.25 (1.12–4.98) | 2.33 (1.15–4.81) | 2.16 (1.13–5.11) | 0.5 |
FeNO ppb | 15.1 (10.0–23.0) | 13.2 (9.00–18.8) | 17.5 (11.5–29.6) | <0.0001 |
EBC (NO2− + NO3−)/NO ratio (median) | 0.30 (0.04–0.60) | 0.34 (0.06–0.61) | 0.26 (0.04–0.58) | 0.16 |
Plasma NO2−/NO3− μM | 39.1 (28.0–53.7) (510) | 38.9 (26.3–56.4) (263) | 39.3 (29.1–53.2) (247) | 0.8 |
Eosinophil cells per mm3 | 170 (100–280) (505) | 145 (100–200) (256) | 199 (100–300) (249) | <0.0001 |
IgE IU·mL−1 | 81.7 (28.8–226) | 49.8 (19.4–128) | 137 (59.0–332) | <0.0001 |