Baseline characteristics of the patients
| Prednisolone | FP2000 | FP500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of patients | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| Median (range) age (years) | 28 (18–53) | 27 (18–48) | 27 (18–56) |
| M/F | 14/26 | 14/26 | 13/27 |
| Smoking (%) | |||
| Current | 28 | 31 | 28 |
| Ex-smoker | 23 | 15 | 23 |
| Non-smoker | 49 | 54 | 49 |
| ICS use at baseline (no/yes) | 13/27 | 13/27 | 10/30 |
| FEV1 (% pred) | 80 (65;91) | 79 (67;91) | 81 (70;96) |
| Reversibility (% pred) | 12.0 (9.2;17.8) | 11.4 (9.0;17.2) | 12.3 (9.2;14.4) |
| Log2PC20 methacholine (mg/ml) | −0.86 (0.36) | −0.83 (0.37) | −0.83 (0.36) |
| Log2PC20 AMP (mg/ml) | 1.89 (0.56) | 3.02 (0.54) | 2.59 (0.67) |
| IgE (IU/ml) | 251 (157;615) | 251 (85;550) | 181 (97;631) |
| Blood eosinophils (%) | 5.8 (3.6;8.0) | 5.0 (4.0;6.8) | 5.1 (2.8;7.9) |
| Sputum eosinophils (%) | 5.5 (2.0;14.7) | 5.0 (1.0;8.0) | 5.0 (1.67;12.0) |
| Serum ECP (μg/l) | 19.5 (10.4;26.8) | 13.3 (9.9;22.0) | 17.1 (9.3;24.9) |
| Sputum ECP (μg/l) | 78.4 (28;292) | 73.6 (33;250) | 95.8 (46;233) |
| Serum cortisol (nmol/l) | 420 (302;563) | 425 (320;725) | 445 (265;740) |
Data are expressed as medians with interquartile ranges, unless stated otherwise. PC20 methacholine and PC20AMP are expressed as mean (SE).
FP = fluticasone propionate; ECP = eosinophilic cationic protein; ICS = inhaled corticosteroids; FEV1 = forced expiratory volume in one second; PC20 = concentration provoking a fall in FEV1 of <20%.