Comparison of steroid- and nonsteroid-dependent severe asthma
| Severe asthma | p-value | ||
| Oral steroids | No oral steroids | ||
| Subjects n | 6 | 8 | |
| Alveolar NO ppb | 2.7 (2.0–9.6) | 0.6 (-2.8–8.3) | 0.05 |
| Bronchial NO nL·s−1 | 1.8 (0.1–2.4) | 2.1 (0.6–5.9) | 0.67 |
| FeNO100 ppb | 20.7 (5.4–33.4) | 19.8 (6.6–57.8) | 0.67 |
| FRC % pred | 113.5 (89–141) | 84.5 (61–131) | 0.07 |
| TLC % pred | 93.5 (90–104) | 96 (81–111) | 1.0 |
| RV/TLC % pred | 123.5 (113–162) | 103.5 (86–117) | 0.004 |
| dN2 %·L−1 | 3.2 (1.1–9.1) | 1.0 (0.5–2.2) | 0.02 |
| CC/TLC % | 53.8 (44–70) | 40.3 (29–53) | 0.01 |
| ΔFVC % | 12.9 (11.4–14.2) | 14.6 (11.7–21.8) | 0.26 |
Data are presented as median (range). #: Alveolar nitric oxide (NO) and bronchial NO were measured in four patients with and six patients without oral steroids; FeNO100: fractional exhaled nitric oxide at an exhalation flow rate of 100 mL·s−1; FRC: functional residual capacity; % pred: per cent predicted; TLC: total lung capacity; RV: residual volume; dN2: slope of the single breath nitrogen washout curve; CC: closing capacity; ΔFVC: percentage fall in forced vital capacity at the provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second.