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Table 3 Clinical and physiological characteristics according to the four clusters

From: Exhaled nitric oxide and clinical phenotypes of childhood asthma

Characteristics

Cluster 1

n = 79

Cluster 2

n = 44

Cluster 3

n = 11

Cluster 4

n = 35

P value*

Gender, girls/boys #

0/79

44/0

5/6

16/19

< 0.001

Age, years

10.6 ± 2.9

11.0 ± 2.6

10.0 ± 1.3

10.0 ± 2.3

0.34

Height, cm #

144 ± 17

143 ± 14

139 ± 9

139 ± 14

0.33

Weight, kg

39 ± 16

38 ± 16

35 ± 7

35 ± 13

0.46

BMI, kg.m-2

18.2 ± 3.2

18.0 ± 4.2

17.8 ± 2.3

17.7 ± 3.4

0.92

Early wheezing, n

33

19

4

12

0.86

Atopy, n (%)

67 (85)

39 (89)

8 (73)

28 (80)

0.55

Tobacco exposure, both #

0

0

1

35

< 0.001

maternal

0

0

0

25

< 0.001

paternal

0

0

1

23

< 0.001

ICS, n (%)

37 (47)

25 (57)

5 (45)

20 (57)

0.62

ICS dose, BED μg/d #

135 ± 208

180 ± 236

149 ± 199

188 ± 217

0.57

LABA, n

33 (42)

22 (50)

4 (36)

15 (43)

0.58

Clinical events

     

Partially or uncontrolled, n

46 (58)

29 (66)

10 (91)

28 (80)

0.028

Days with symptoms #

3 [0-8]

4 [0-12]

3 [3-7]

7 [3-15]

0.045

With exacerbation, n

16 (20)

6 (14)

6 (55)

14 (41)

0.006

Days with oral steroid #

0 [0-0]

0 [0-0]

3 [0-3]

0 [0-3]

0.021

Pulmonary function tests

     

Before bronchodilation

     

FE NO , ppb #

25 [14-45]

34 [19-51]

21 [9-49]

30 [14-52]

0.58

sRaw, % pred

201 ± 40

200 ± 54

211 ± 37

212 ± 47

0.68

FEF50%/TLC

0.70 ± 0.13

0.74 ± 0.13

0.62 ± 0.15

0.69 ± 0.14

0.5

FEV1, % pred

98 ± 13

100 ± 13

91 ± 14

97 ± 14

0.28

FVC, % pred

104 ± 14

106 ± 13

106 ± 15

106 ± 12

0.88

FEV1/FVC #

78 ± 8

80 ± 6

74 ± 8

77 ± 9

0.41

FEF25-75%, % pred

74 ± 18

72 ± 18

59 ± 19

70 ± 20

0.1

TLC, % pred

105 ± 12

104 ± 9

103 ± 12

106 ± 10

0.32

FRC, % pred

103 ± 17

102 ± 17

101 ± 22

105 ± 18

0.22

RV, % pred

107 ± 28

104 ± 27

101 ± 20

115 ± 32

0.23

RV/TLC

0.24 ± 0.06

0.25 ± 0.06

0.24 ± 0.04

0.27 ± 0.06

0.14

After bronchodilation

     

sRaw, % pred

125 ± 28

127 ± 31

117 ± 22

133 ± 34

0.22

FEF50%/TLC #

0.78 ± 0.17

0.86 ± 0.15

0.80 ± 0.22

0.75 ± 0.22

0.025

FEV1, % pred #

107 ± 12

110 ± 12

105 ± 14

107 ± 12

0.47

FVC, % pred

107 ± 13

108 ± 12

107 ± 14

110 ± 12

0.69

FEV1/FVC, %

84 ± 6

86 ± 4

83 ± 8

82 ± 7

0.05

FEF25-75%, % pred

92 ± 20

95 ± 16

86 ± 25

84 ± 21

0.17

TLC, % pred

103 ± 11

102 ± 9

101 ± 13

104 ± 10

0.73

FRC, % pred

101 ± 16

100 ± 14

95 ± 19

101 ± 13

0.3

RV, % pred

95 ± 22

90 ± 22

91 ± 25

96 ± 23

0.78

RV/TLC

0.22 ± 0.05

0.22 ± 0.05

0.23 ± 0.04

0.23 ± 0.05

0.6

Bronchodilator response, % #

8 [5-12]

10 [5-17]

15 [9-20]

8 [3-16]

0.036

  1. # : variables included in the cluster analysis
  2. * : Comparison between clusters using analysis of variance for continuous variables or Kruskal Wallis Rank test (non normal values) and χ2 test for proportions. Significance values for variables included in the cluster analysis are a product of the cluster algorithm and are provided for illustrative purposes only.
  3. Results are provided as mean ± SD or median [25th - 75th percentiles] or absolute number with percent age (%).