| Eosinophilic asthma | Neutrophilic asthma | Paucigranulocytic asthma | Healthy controls | p-value# | |
| Subjects n | 30 | 20 | 35 | 27 | |
| Age mean (range) | 53 (23–82)¶ | 64 (43–76)¶ | 60 (31–80)¶ | 41 (20–69) | <0.001 |
| Sex male/female n | 17/13 | 10/10 | 21/14 | 12/15 | 0.647 |
| Ex-smoker n (%) | 10 (33) | 8 (40) | 14 (40) | 3 (11) | 0.052 |
| Smoking history pack-years | 0.5 (0.3–1.0) | 5.0 (2.7–14.6)+ | 7.0 (2.0–10.5)+ | 0.1 (1.1–2.9) | 0.004 |
| FEV1 % pred | 75±20¶ | 62±17¶ | 74±20¶ | 104±12 | <0.001 |
| FEV1/FVC % | 68±11¶ | 59±11¶,+,§ | 68±11¶ | 82±7 | <0.001 |
| ICS dose | 1000 (1000–2000) | 2000 (800–2000) | 2000 (1000–2000) | 0.531 | |
| Total cells ×106 per mL | 2.97 (1.53–5.31) | 9.63 (4.73–14.63) ¶,§,+ | 2.88 (1.89–4.59) | 2.30 (1.53–4.46) | <0.001 |
| Viability % | 74 (65–84) | 91 (83–94) ¶,§,+ | 71 (55–81) | 67 (58–81) | <0.001 |
| Neutrophils % | 27.1 (18.3–36.3) | 81.6 (68.8–90.1)¶,+,§ | 25.5 (15.3–39.0) | 25.6 (13.3–41.8) | <0.001 |
| Neutrophils ×104 per mL | 89.9 (38.9–130) | 815 (385–1218)¶,+,§ | 63.8 (34.7–176) | 53.4 (22.4–131) | <0.001 |
| Eosinophils % | 7.9 (4.3–17)¶,§ | 0.4 (0.1–1.0)+ | 0.5 (0.0–1.0) | 0.3 (0–0.5) | <0.001 |
| Eosinophils ×104 per mL | 20.4 (8.4–68.7)¶,§ | 2.6 (0.3–5.7)+ | 0.8 (0.0–3.8) | 0.6 (0.0–1.8) | <0.001 |
| Macrophages % | 52.0 (41.3–69.5) | 15.3 (8.6–22.2)¶,+,§ | 66.7 (48.0–76.3) | 64.8 (47.8–75.5) | <0.001 |
| Macrophages ×104 per mL | 172 (68.0–281) | 108 (67.5–228) | 164 (119–296) | 131 (81.9–268) | 0.137 |
| Lymphocytes % | 0.5 (0.3–1.3) | 0.5 (0.0–1.0)¶ | 0.9 (0.0–1.5) | 1.8 (0.5–3.3) | 0.035 |
| Lymphocytes ×104 per mL | 1.6 (0.7–4.3) | 2.7 (0.0–7.4) | 2.4 (0.0–5.5) | 3.2 (1.3–8.4) | 0.465 |
| Columnar epithelial cells % | 3.1 (0.8–5.8) | 1.4 (0.0–3.4) | 4.8 (1.0–6.5) | 2.8 (1.0–12.8) | 0.093 |
| Columnar epithelial cells ×104 per mL | 6.7 (3.9–17.3) | 8.2 (0.0–21.9) | 2.7 (0.0–8.3) | 4.5 (2.4–11.3) | 0.533 |
| Squamous % | 3.9 (1.5–7.8) | 1.4 (0.6–2.9)#,+ | 2.9 (1.0–11.9) | 5.7 (2.0–8.5) | 0. 041 |
Data are presented as median (interquartile range) or mean±sd, unless otherwise stated. FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC: forced vital capacity; ICS: inhaled corticosteroid. #: for four-group comparison; ¶: p<0.008 versus healthy controls; +: p<0.008 versus eosinophilic asthma; §: p<0.008 versus paucigranulocytic asthma.