Feasibility of sputum sample production and comparison of cellular morphology and sputum ECP between asthma and healthy controls
| No. of subjects | Age (years) | Mean (SD) FEV1 (%) | Skin prick test positive (%) |
Sample production1-151(n) (%) |
Eosinophils (×106/ml) (%) | Total cell count (×106/ml) |
ECP (μg/l) | |
| Control | 27 | 9.8 (8.4–11.9) | 91 (12) | 38 | 17 61 | 0 (0–0) 0 (0–0) | 2.4 (0.9–2.8) | 8.8 (2–25)* |
| Asthma | 60 | 10.2 (8.4–11) | 91 (21) | 62 | 36 60 | 0.04 (0–0.4) 0.02 (0–1.3) | 2.4 (1.7–4.3) | 83 (34–258)* |
| p value | 0.59 | 0.9 | 0.02 | 0.03 0.004 | 0.34 | <0.001 |
Values as median (IQR) except *geometric mean.
↵1-151 Eight other children were unable to cooperate with the technique.