Patient characteristics
| External validation cohort | Replication cohort | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of patients | 110 | 37 |
| Age (years) | 49±13.8 | 53±11.4 |
| Gender (% female) | 51 | 51 |
| BMI | 28±5.2 | 30±7.5 |
| Smoking history (py)* | 4 (0–18) | 0 (0–5.5) |
| Oral corticosteroids (%) | 0 | 19 |
| Inhaled corticosteroids (%) | 85 | 100 |
| Dose ICS (µg/day)*† | 500 (250–500) | 500 (500–1000) |
| Atopy (% positive RAST) | 43 | 57 |
| Total IgE (Ku/L)* | 62 (26–235) | 153 (42–288) |
| pb FEV1 (% predicted) | 100±17.1 | 90±18.1 |
| pb FEV1/FVC (% predicted) | 95±11.0 | 86±16 |
| Sputum eosinophils, %* | 0.6 (0.1–3.6) | 2.1 (0.2–8.8) |
| Blood eosinophils, 109/L* | 0.17 (0.11–0.29) | 0.18 (0.09–0.32) |
| FENO level, ppb* | 20 (13–40) | NA |
| Periostin (in-house), ng/mL* | 25.5 (19.9–32.6) | 36.3 (28.7–54.2) |
| Periostin (Elecsys), ng/mL* | 47.7 (40.2–56.3) | 50.8 (45.7–60.4) |
Data expressed as mean±SD;
*Median (IQR).
†Fluticasone equivalent.
BMI, Body Mass Index; ICS, inhaled corticosteroids; IgE, immunoglobulin E; NA, not available; pb, postbronchodilator; py, pack-years; RAST, radioallergosorbent test.