Changes in sputum cells in eosinophilic asthma (EA) and non-eosinophilic asthma (NEA) after inhaled fluticasone (1000 μg daily) for 28+ days
| All (n=88) | EA (n=60) | NEA (n=28) | ||||||
| Before | After | p Value | Before | After | Before | After | p Value (treatment effect by phenotype) | |
| Total cell count (×106/ml)* | 1.2 (0.9 to 1.5) | 0.9 (0.8 to 1.1) | 0.439 | 1.4 (1.1 to 1.9) | 1.0 (0.7 to 1.2) | 0.7 (0.5 to 1.0) | 0.8 (0.6 to 1.2) | 0.117 |
| Viability (%) | 88.8 (86.8 to 90.8) | 91.1 (89.5 to 92.8) | 0.047 | 89.2 (87.0 to 91.4) | 90.7 (88.7 to 92.8) | 87.9 (83.7 to 92.0) | 92.0 (89.2 to 94.8) | 0.357 |
| Squamous cells (%) | 18.1 (15.2 to 21.0) | 21.3 (17.8 to 24.8) | 0.552 | 15.7 (12.3 to 19.0) | 21.9 (17.6 to 26.2) | 23.3 (18.0 to 28.6) | 20.0 (14.0 to 26.0) | 0.056 |
| Eosinophils (%)* | 5.8 (3.9 to 8.7) | 2.0 (1.4 to 3.0) | 0.001 | 17.9 (14.1 to 22.8) | 3.6 (2.3 to 5.8) | 0.5 (0.4 to 0.8) | 0.6 (0.3 to 1.0) | <0.001 |
| Neutrophils (%) | 19.3 (15.7 to 22.9) | 27.7 (23.1 to 32.4) | 0.024 | 20.2 (15.8 to 24.5) | 30.6 (25.3 to 35.9) | 17.5 (11.1 to 23.9) | 21.6 (12.8 to 30.4) | 0.323 |
| Macrophages (%) | 41.0 (36.4 to 45.6) | 47.3 (42.3 to 52.3) | 0.052 | 37.8 (32.3 to 43.2) | 42.6 (37.0 to 48.2) | 47.9 (39.6 to 56.2) | 57.3 (48.1 to 66.5) | 0.528 |
| Bronchoepithelial cells (%)* | 11.5 (9.0 to 14.7) | 9.6 (7.7 to 12.0) | 0.033 | 8.3 (6.2 to 11.1) | 9.8 (7.7 to 12.4) | 23.1 (16.5 to 32.3) | 9.2 (5.7 to 15.0) | 0.002 |
| Lymphocytes (%)* | 1.1 (0.8 to 1.4) | 0.6 (0.4 to 0.7) | 0.004 | 1.3 (1.0 to 1.7) | 0.5 (0.4 to 0.7) | 0.7 (0.4 to 1.1) | 0.6 (0.4 to 0.9) | 0.023 |
Results presented as mean (95% CI). Analysed using mixed model analysis. Significant p values are in bold.
↵* Analysed after logarithmic transformation and results presented as geometric mean (95% CI).