Table 1 Study cohort characteristics

Age (yrs)

39 (27–45)

33 (25–47)

28 (26–48)

NS

ACQ score (baseline)*

0.7 (0.3–1.0)

–

–

–

% Male

50%

67%

36%

NS^€

% White

68%

50%

72%

NS^€

BMI (kg/m²)

25 (23–30)

27 (21–32)

27 (23–28)

NS

FEV1% predicted pre-Alb^¥

86 (69–97)

98 (91–107)

104 (97–112)

0.001

FEV1% predicted post-Alb^¥

99 (83–106)

104 (96–107)

107 (101–121)

0.035

Change in FEV%

9.5 (6.0–15.0)

3.0 (1.0–6.5)

4.0 (1.0–5.0)

< 0.0001

PC₂₀ (methacholine)

1.1 (0.3–2.8)

> 32^$

> 32^$

< 0.0001

Serum IgE (EU/mL)

169.5 (68.8–313.0)

88.5 (43.5–175.0)

14.0 (5.0–37.0)

< 0.0001

No. of positive sIgE^¢

6 (3–9)

4 (2–6)

–

NS^&

Allergic rhinitis (%)

55%

25%

0%

0.006 ^€

Blood neutrophils (%)

53.1 (48.0–61.2)

52.8 (51.0–61.8)

58.4 (53.3–63.0)

NS

Blood eosinophils (%)

3.7 (1.9–5.3)

2.0 (1.4–5.0)

1.8 (1.2–3.0)

0.076

Sputum neutrophils (%)

50.8 (30.1–63.6)

34.6 (15.0–44.4)

41.1 (37.7–65.5)

NS

Sputum eosinophils (%)

0.5 (0.0–2.6)

0.1 (0.0–0.5)

0.0 (0.0–0.4)

0.041

BAL GM-CSF (pg/mL)

349 (194–571)

476 (233–840)

154 (125–258)

0.010

BAL IL-6 (pg/mL)

102 (49–185)

160 (67–164)

70 (23–110)

NS

BAL IL-7 (pg/mL)

0.3 (0.3–37.6)

0.3 (0.3–20.5)

0.3 (0.3–0.3)

NS

BAL IL-8 (pg/mL)

1407 (843–3864)

1311 (870–2851)

953 (503–1180)

NS

BAL CXCL11 (pg/mL)

371 (137–628)

801 (421–937)

339 (171–396)

0.036

BAL MIP-1α (pg/mL)

82 (49–174)

114 (74–156)

69 (38–106)

NS

BAL MIP-1β (pg/mL)

317 (200–616)

275 (240–394)

128 (113–350)

0.095

BAL MIP-3α (pg/mL)

390 (162–1668)

411 (242–715)

264 (126–918)

NS

BAL TNF (pg/mL)

70 (17–99)

65 (42–106)

29 (22–76)

NS

BAL IL-1β (pg/mL)

0.04 (0.04–4.2)

0.04 (0.04–7.9)

0.04 (0.04–0.04)

NS

BAL IL-21 (pg/mL)

0.8 (0.04–17.8)

8.3 (0.04–37.1)

0.04 (0.04–3.1)

NS