Systemic T-helper and T-regulatory cell type cytokine responses in rhinovirus vs. respiratory syncytial virus induced early wheezing: an observational study

Table 1 Patient characteristics in rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus affected children.

	Rhinovirus (n = 23)	RSV (n = 27)	P
Age, years	1.4 (0.59)	0.78 (0.61)	0.0012
Male, No.	15 (65%)	16 (59%)	0.67
Atopic, No.	10 (44%)	1 (4%)	0.0009
Food sensitization, No	9 (39%)	1 (4%)	0.0034
Perennial aeroallergen, No.	1 (4%)	0 (0%)	0.47
1^st episode, No.	17 (74%)	25 (93%)	0.12
2^nd episode, No.	6 (26%)	2 (7%)	0.12
Parental asthma, No.	2 (9%)	6 (22%)	0.26
Parental allergy, No.	13 (57%)	16 (59%)	0.85
Parental smoking, No.	11 (48%)	14 (52%)	0.78
Previous symptoms
Cough, days	2 (1, 3)	4 (3, 5)	0.0072
Wheezing, days	1 (1, 1)	2 (2, 3)	0.053
On entry to the study
RSS, points (0, none to 12, severe)	6.7 (1.4)	6.5 (1.1)	0.45
O₂-saturation, %	96 (2.3)	96 (2.5)	0.75
Acute otitis media, No.	11 (48%)	21 (78%)	0.028
Blood eosinophils, × 10⁹/L	0.4 (0.2, 0.6)	0.0 (0.0, 0.1)	<0.0001
Blood eosinophils >0.1 × 10⁹/L	20 (87%)	3/26 (12%)	<0.0001
Exhaled nitric oxide, ppb¹	7.5 (7.0, 12)	5.1 (3.9, 6.5)	0.020
Medication
Salbutamol at ER before entry, mg/kg	0.23 (0.18)	0.19 (0.17)	0.46
Antibiotic treatment, No.	15 (65%)	21 (78%)	0.013

RSV, respiratory syncytial virus; RSS, respiratory symptom score; ER, emergency room.
Values are means (SD), No. (%), or medians (interquartile range).
Continuous data were analysed by t-test except Mann Whitney U test was used for blood eosinophil and exhaled nitric oxide levels. Categoric data were analysed by Chi square test.
¹rhinovirus group, n = 11, RSV-group, n = 17.

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