Characteristics of study subjects
| Entire asthma group(n = 40) | ICS treatment asthma subgroup (n = 18) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before treatment | After treatment | Absolute difference†(95% CI) | p Value† | ||
| Values are mean (SD) unless otherwise stated. | |||||
| *Geometric mean and 95% CI | |||||
| †Comparison between values before and after treatment. | |||||
| ‡Doubling dose difference in DRR. | |||||
| BDP, beclomethasone dipropionate; CEV, cumulative expired volume; DRR, dose response ratio; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FeNO, fraction of nitric oxide in exhaled breath; FRC, functional residual capacity; FVC, forced vital capacity; ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; LCI, lung clearance index; MBNW, multiple breath nitrogen washout; Scond, ventilation heterogeneity in the conducting airways; Sacin, ventilation heterogeneity in acinar lung zone; ppb, parts per billion. | |||||
| M/F | 20/20 | 9/9 | – | – | – |
| Mean (range) age (years) | 32.1 (18–66) | 33.9 (18–63) | – | – | – |
| Atopic (Y/N) | 40/0 | – | – | – | – |
| FeNO (ppb)* | 15.4 (12.2 to 19.4) | 14.1 | 8.0 | 6.5 (1.5 to 11.6) | 0.002 |
| Scond (/l) | 0.055 (0.03) | 0.067 | 0.052 | 0.02 (0.01 to 0.03) | 0.009 |
| Sacin (/l) | 0.146 (0.02) | 0.159 | 0.142 | 0.02 (0.00 to 0.03) | 0.035 |
| LCI (CEV/FRC) | 8.16 (1.1) | 8.54 | 7.78 | 0.8 (0.4 to 1.1) | 0.001 |
| DRR (% fall FEV1/μmol methacholine+3)* | 18.9 (12.4 to 28.8) | 22.0 | 10.1 | 1.1 (0.6 to 1.6)‡ | <0.001 |
| FEV1 (% predicted) | 82.4 (11.7) | 80.1 | 85.9 | 5.8 (3.2 to 8.4) | <0.001 |
| FEV1/FVC ratio | 0.76 (0.08) | 0.73 | 0.75 | 0.02 (0.00 to 0.04) | 0.04 |
| β agonist use (times/day) | 1.4 (2.4) | 1.95 | 0.54 | 0.8 (−0.0 to 1.6) | 0.07 |
| BDP equivalent dose (μg/day) | 320 (449.6) | 270 | 1500 | – | – |
| Juniper symptom score | 1.28 (0.84) | 1.48 | 0.81 | 0.7 (0.4 to 0.9) | <0.001 |