Exhaled nitric oxide (ppb)† | 1.4 (0.2) | 3.2 (0.1) |
Interleukin-8 (ng/ml) | 3.3 (2.2–9.7) | 11 (4.9–28.5)* |
Histamine (ng/ml) | 10.8 (2.1–36.0) | 3.8 (1.7–33.1) |
Absolute cell counts (×104/g) | | |
Neutrophils | 54.7 (10.4–122.2) | 117.5 (65.3–275.6)* |
Eosinophils | 0.0 (0–0.6) | 1.5 (0–4.5) |
Lymphocytes | 0.1 (0–1.3) | 1.5 (0–4.5)* |
Macrophages | 10.0 (2.2–93.4) | 36.4 (11.4–93.4) |
Epithelial cells | 0.5 (0–4.5) | 2.9 (0.8–8.3) |
Total cell count (× 106/ml) | 0.5 (0.2–2.0) | 2.1 (1.1–3.3)* |
Differential cell counts (%) | | |
Neutrophils | 64.0 (52.9–85.2) | 69.4 (59.7–88.2) |
Eosinophils | 0.3 (0–0.4) | 0.5 (0.1–1.7) |
Lymphocytes | 0.6 (0–0.8) | 1.0 (0.2–1.5) |
Macrophages | 34.8 (13.0–44.9) | 22.7 (6.6–31.8) |
Epithelial cells | 1.0 (0.1–2.7) | 1.6 (0.4–3.8) |
Viability (%)‡ | 46 (6) | 68 (4) |
Squamous cell contamination (%)‡ | 14 (4) | 10 (6) |