Clinical characteristics of the subjects for the BAL study
| Smokers with normal lung function | Patients with mild to moderate stable COPD | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | 18 | 26 |
| Age | 64.4±2.0 | 67.9±1.6 |
| Sex (M/F) | 15/3 | 19/F |
| Ex/current smokers | 10/8 | 12/14 |
| Pack-years | 37.8±3.0 | 39.6±5.5 |
| Chronic bronchitis | 10 | 14 |
| FEV1 % predicted | 88.2±4.9 | 57.9±3.0 |
| FEV1/FVC % | 79.2±1.8 | 56.8±2.5 |
FEV1 % predicted and FEV1/FVC % are post-bronchodilator values. Patients with COPD were using short-acting inhaled β2 agonists or short-acting inhaled antimuscarinics (SAMAs) as required or regular long-acting inhaled β2 agonists and/or regular inhaled anticholinergics, including SAMAs or long-acting inhaled antimuscarinics at the dosage recommended in current COPD guidelines (http://www.goldcopd.org) at the time of their recruitment. Data expressed as means±SEM.
BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage; F, female; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1s; FVC, forced vital capacity; M, male.