Clinical characteristics of participants from whom human bronchial epithelial cell (HBEC) samples were successfully obtained
| Clinical characteristic | Asthma | Normal | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subjects (n) | 10 | 12 | |
| Men | 8 (80%) | 5 (42%) | 0.099 |
| Age | 34.2 (±8.4) | 38.5 (±11.1) | 0.307 |
| ACQ | 0.5 (±0.4) | 0 (±0) | 0.003 |
| ICS | 5 (50%) | 0 (0) | 0.003 |
| ICS and LABA | 3 (30%) | 0 (0) | 0.004 |
| Exacerbations/year | 1.1 (1–1) | 0 (0) | 0.004 |
| Oral steroid courses/year | 0.1 (0–0.1) | 0 (0) | 1.000 |
| PEF (L/min) | 525 (±112.9) | 470 (±93.9) | 0.575 |
| PEF % predicted | 95.1 (±13.2) | 102.7 (±10.7) | 0.086 |
| FEV1 (L) | 3.6 (±0.9) | 3.3 (±0.6) | 0.373 |
| FEV1 % predicted | 90.4 (±16.1) | 96.2 (±9.6) | 0.499 |
| FVC (L) | 4.6 (±1.1) | 3.9 (±0.7) | 0.080 |
| FVC % predicted | 97.1 (±14.7) | 95.5 (±13.1) | 0.488 |
| FEV1/FVC ratio % predicted | 77.2 (±6.2) | 85.7 (±6.7) | 0.008 |
| Histamine PC20 (mg/mL) | 0.7 (0.2–2.5) | 16 (0) | 0.003 |
| IgE (IU/mL) | 159 (46.2–218) | 7.5 (2.2–26.5) | <0.001 |
| SPT (number positive) | 3.5 (3–6) | 0 (0) | <0.001 |
Sex is presented as number and percentage of participants who were men. Values for age, ACQ, PEF, FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC ratio are presented as mean±SD. Values for exacerbations and courses of oral steroids per year, histamine challenge result, IgE and number of positive skin prick tests are presented as median and IQR. ICS and ICS and LABA are presented as number and percentage.
ACQ, Asthma Control Questionnaire; ICS, subjects prescribed inhaled corticosteroid alone; ICS and LABA, subjects prescribed combination of inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting β2 agonist inhaler; PEF, peak expiratory flow; SPT, number of positive skin prick test results.