Demographics of paediatric severe therapy-resistant asthma (STRA), difficult asthma (DA) and chronic inflammation patients
| STRA | DA | Chronic inflammation | p-value (STRA versus DA) | p-value (STRA versus chronic inflammation) | |
| Subjects | 16 | 6 | 8 | ||
| Age years | 12.8 (6.9–16.1) | 14 (8.1–16.5) | 9.8 (6.1–16.2) | 0.2 | 0.05 |
| Age at onset of asthma years | 4.4 (2–8) | 4.2 (2–7) | 0.3 | ||
| Male | 17 (68) | 6 (75) | 4 (44.4) | 0.05 | 0.03 |
| Weight kg | 49 (23–94.7) | 42.5 (32.6–80) | 48.5 (38.2–62.3) | 0.07 | 0.1 |
| Height cm | 150 (103–186) | 148 (55–167) | 148 (128–161) | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| FEV1 L | 1.84 (0.98–4.79) | 1.89 (1.59–3.08) | 1.91 (1.4–2.65) | 0.07 | 0.05 |
| FEV1 % | 87.5 (66–134) | 82.5 (63–110) | 86 (63–115) | 0.06 | 0.1 |
| FVC L | 2.9 (1.2–4.79) | 2.3 (2.13–3.76) | 2.7 (1.5–4) | 0.09 | 0.1 |
| FVC % | 99.8 (89.6 ,132.1) | 95 (68–106) | 102.5 (76–124) | 0.08 | 0.3 |
| Total IgE IU·mL−1 | 321.5 (21–1938) | 161 (81–801) | 38.5 (19–1252) | 0.05 | 0.02 |
| Atopic | 16 (100) | 5 (83.3) | 0.4 | ||
| Aeroallergen sensitisation (number of allergens) | 3 (1–5) | 2 (1–3) | 0.1 | ||
| Sum of specific aeroallergen IgE IU·mL−1 | 3.3 (0.8–102) | 2.1 (0.9–100) | 0.2 | ||
| ACT | 21 (13–23) | 16.5 (16–23) | 0.04 | ||
| FeNO ppb | 12.5 (8–43) | 12 (10–31) | 0.1 | ||
| ICS mg·day−1 | 1 (0.8–2) | 1 (0.8–2) | 0.4 (0–1.6) | 0.1 | 0.04 |
| OCS | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Omalizumab | 5 | 0 | |||
| Sputum eosinophils % | 4.7 (1–68.1) | 0 (0–1.2) | 0.00 (0–0.5) | 0.002 | 0.002 |
| Sputum neutrophils % | 12.5 (0–74) | 7.7 (0–77.3) | 71.3 (34–97.5) | 0.1 | 0.001 |
| Sputum lymphocytes % | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) | 0.2 | 0.2 |
Data are presented as n, median (range) or n (%), unless otherwise stated. FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC: forced vital capacity; ACT: Asthma Control Test, FeNO: exhaled nitric oxide fraction; ICS: inhaled corticosteroids; OCS: oral corticosteroids.