Demographic, clinical and microbiological characteristics of the study subjects at time of initial cough aerosol experiment, according to type of subject*
| Characteristic | Subjects with cystic fibrosis (N=19) | Healthy control subjects (N=10) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age—years | 25.8±9.2 | 26.5±8.7 | 0.85 |
| (range) | 14.4–43.4 | 16.1–41.5 | |
| Male sex—no. (%) | 10 (52.6) | 4 (40.0) | 0.52 |
| Weight (kg) | 63.0±11.7 | 74.5±16.1 | 0.04 |
| Height (cm) | 169.6±6.7 | 173.3±1.9 | 0.30 |
| Body mass index | 21.8±3.1 | 24.6±2.9 | 0.03 |
| FEV1 | |||
| Value (L) | 2.03±0.70 | 3.80±0.80 | <0.001 |
| Percent of predicted value | 53.9±19.0 | 96.1±11.5 | <0.001 |
| FVC | |||
| Value (L) | 3.23±0.69 | 4.68±0.98 | <0.001 |
| Percent of predicted value | 72.9±15.9 | 100.2±9.2 | <0.001 |
| MIP† | |||
| Value (cmH2O) | 105.78±27.38 | 95.12±19.13 | 0.38 |
| Percent of predicted value | 116.7±30.6 | 108.4±18.1 | 0.53 |
| MEP† | |||
| Value (cmH2O) | 126.23±31.67 | 130.15±28.91 | 0.79 |
| Percent of predicted value | 108.5±24.0 | 112.7±23.3 | 0.72 |
| Number of coughs per minute | 26.9±18.5 | 37.8±23.5 | 0.18 |
| Infection − no. (%) | |||
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 19 (100.0) | – | – |
| Mucoid P aeruginosa | 15 (78.9) | – | – |
| Non-mucoid P aeruginosa | 18 (94.7) | – | – |
| Staphylococcus aureus | 5 (26.3) | – | – |
| Stenotrophomonas maltophilia | 2 (10.5) | – | – |
| Trichosporon/Arxula spp. | 3 (15.8) | – | – |
| Aspergillus spp. | 3 (15.8) | – | – |
| Scedosporium spp. | 2 (10.5) | – | – |
| Candida spp. | 1 (5.7) | – | – |
| Sputum P aeruginosa concentration−colony-forming units per mL‡ | 1.37×108 (2.16×107–1.06×109) | – | – |
*Values are means±SD unless otherwise indicated.
†Maximal static inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures (MIPS and MEPS) were calculated for only 12/19 test subjects and 7/10 control subjects.
‡Data are presented as median values (IQR). Only 18/19 test subjects were able to expectorate sputum on the initial experimental day.