Clinical characteristics of subjects studied by immunohistochemistry
| Control non-smokers | Control smokers normal lung function | COPD grade I/II (mild/moderate) | COPD grade III/IV (severe/very severe) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 11 | 12 | 14 | 18 |
| Age (years) | 67±1 | 61±7 | 67±8 | 66±9 |
| M/F | 10/1 | 9/3 | 12/2 | 11/7 |
| Pack years | 0 | 43±26 | 40±19 | 54±36 |
| Ex/current smokers | 0 | 2/10 | 5/9 | 13/5 |
| FEV1 pre-β2 (% predicted) | 116±14 | 104±13 | 66±14* | 35±8*,** |
| FEV1 post-β2 (% predicted) | ND | ND | 72±12 | 38±9 |
| FEV1/FVC (%) | 85±10 | 81±6 | 60±8* | 44±10*,** |
| Chronic bronchitis | 0 | 5 | 8 | 6 |
Patients were classified according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) (http://www-goldcopd.org) grades of severity for COPD into mild (stage I), moderate (stage II), severe (stage III) and very severe (stage IV).
Patients with COPD were using short-acting inhaled β2 agonists (SABAs) or short-acting inhaled antimuscarinics (SAMAs) as needed or regular long-acting inhaled β2 agonists (LABAs) and/or regular inhaled anticholinergics, including SAMA 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. For patients with COPD FEV1/FVC (%) are post-bronchodilator values.
Statistics (ANOVA): *p<0.0001, significantly different from control smokers with normal lung function and control never smokers; **p<0.0001, significantly different from patients with mild/moderate COPD.
F, female, FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1s; FVC, forced vital capacity; M, male; ND, not determined.