Patient characteristics
| Atopic asthma | Normal | |
| Age (years) | 35 (20–64) | 35 (23–70) |
| M:F | 5:3 | 5:5 |
| BAL recovery (ml) | 127.5 (90–180) | 125 (100–150) |
| Total cell count (×106/ml) | 5.54 (1.3–10) | 6.4 (2.5–12.2) |
| Differential cell count (%) | AM 90 (80–95)%; Eo 5.7 (3–15)%, Lym 0.5 (0–2)% | AM >96% |
| FEV1 (% predicted) | 82 (72–100) | ND |
| Reversibility (%) | 17.75 (15–27) | ND |
Values are mean (range).
AM = alveolar macrophages; Eo = eosinophils; Lym = lymphocytes, ND = not done.