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Table 1 Comparisons of baseline characteristics between patients with and without an acute exacerbation

From: Risk factors for an acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

 

Non-AE

 

AE

 

P Value a

(N = 41)

(N = 24)

Age, median (IQR), y

69.0

(62.0 to 73.0)

68.0

(62.0 to 73.5)

0.995

Sex, No. (%)

 Men

31

(75.6)

20

(83.3)

1.000

 Women

10

(24.4)

4

(16.7)

 

Smoking, No. (%)

 S

7

(17.1)

3

(12.5)

1.000

 Ex

25

(61.0)

17

(70.8)

 

 N

9

(22.0)

4

(16.7)

 

Smoking index, pack-years

35.8

(1.0 to 52.3)

31.3

(15.0 to 50.0)

0.940

Cardiovascular diseases, No. (%)

 Yes

10

(24.4)

8

(33.3)

1.000

 No

31

(75.6)

16

(66.7)

 

Atopic diseases, No. (%)

 Yes

3

(7.3)

1

(4.2)

1.000

 No

38

(92.7)

23

(95.8)

 

Baseline pulmonary function

 VC, median (IQR), % predicted

81.0

(64.1 to 95.0)

69.2

(59.5 to 83.0)

0.074

 FVC, median (IQR), % predicted

80.4

(59.0 to 93.9)

70.5

(59.9 to 82.1)

0.055

 TLC, median (IQR), % predicted

75.9

(63.0 to 90.0)

66.1

(54.0 to 77.0)

0.020

 DLCO, median (IQR), % predicted

58.0

(46.1 to 72.5)

46.2

(41.0 to 72.3)

0.276

 KCO, median (IQR), % predicted

69.5

(60.8 to 85.0)

73.0

(57.7 to 78.0)

0.866

GAP stage, No. (%)

 I

25

(69.4)

10

(45.5)

1.000

 II

9

(25.0)

12

(54.5)

 

 III

2

(5.6)

0

(0.0)

 

CPI

37.3

(22.2 to 47.6)

47.7

(30.5 to 54.9)

0.190

Respiratory parameters b

 PaO2, median (IQR), mm Hg

80.7

(75.3 to 91.0)

81.0

(75.2 to 94.5)

0.810

 A-a DO2, median (IQR), mm Hg

17.5

(3.8 to 26.2)

17.2

(4.1 to 25.2)

0.889

Hematologic data

 WBC, median (IQR),/mm3

6700

(5800 to 8100)

7350

(5750 to 9300)

0.442

 Neutrophils, median (IQR), %

62.8

(57.0 to 69.4)

63.9

(58.0 to 69.0)

0.897

 Eosinophils, median (IQR), %

3.0

(2.0 to 4.7)

2.9

(1.8 to 4.4)

0.545

Serum markers

 CRP, median (IQR), mg/dL

0.31

(0.06 to 0.69)

0.29

(0.13 to 0.64)

0.688

 LDH, median (IQR), U/L

235

(187.0 to 255.0)

247

(223.5 to 296.0)

0.082

 KL-6, median (IQR), U/mL

912

(595.0 to 1802.0)

1258

(744.5 to 2006.0)

0.246

 SP-D, median (IQR), ng/mL

203

(131.0 to 342.0)

269

(178.6 to 343.0)

0.285

BAL fluid findings

 Total cell count, median (IQR), ×105/mL

2.50

(1.40 to 3.67)

3.21

(2.22 to 3.97)

0.099

 Macrophages, median (IQR), %

80.2

(62.5 to 88.9)

76.6

(67.3 to 84.8)

0.492

 Lymphocytes, median (IQR), %

6.8

(3.9 to 11.4)

11.6

(3.2 to 17.1)

0.649

 Neutrophils, median (IQR), %

6.7

(2.9 to 13.3)

7.0

(3.2 to 10.5)

0.807

 Eosinophils, median (IQR), %

3.3

(1.2 to 5.4)

4.6

(2.1 to 7.0)

0.259

 CD4/8 ratio, median (IQR)

1.90

(0.86 to 3.70)

1.10

(0.60 to 1.90)

0.065

Treatment after the diagnosis

Steroid, No. (%)

 yes

7

(17.1)

8

(33.3)

1.000

 No

34

(82.9)

16

(66.7)

 

Immunosuppressive agent c, No. (%)

 Yes

3

(7.3)

6

(25.0)

1.000

 No

38

(92.7)

18

(75.0)

 

Steroid with immunosuppressive agent, No. (%)

 Yes

3

(7.3)

5

(20.8)

1.000

 No

38

(92.7)

19

(79.2)

 

Pirfenidone, No. (%)

 Yes

8

(19.5)

6

(25.0)

1.000

 No

33

(80.5)

18

(75.0)

 

NAC, No. (%)

 Yes

8

(19.5)

5

(20.8)

1.000

 No

33

(80.5)

19

(79.2)

 
  1. Abbreviations: AE acute exacerbation, N number of patients, IQR interquartile range, S/Ex/N current smoker/ex-smoker/nonsmoker, VC vital capacity, FVC forced vital capacity, TLC total lung capacity, DLCO diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, KCO carbon monoxide transfer coefficient, GAP gender-age-physiology, CPI composite physiologic index, P/F ratio PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio, A-a DO 2 alveolar-arterial difference in oxygen, WBC white blood cell count, CRP C-reactive protein, LDH lactate dehydrogenase, KL-6 Krebs von den Lungen-6, SP-D surfactant protein-D, BAL bronchoalveolar lavage, CD4/8 ratio CD4/CD8 lymphocyte subset ratio, NAC inhaled N-acetylcysteine
  2. Data are presented as the median (interquartile range)
  3. aWilcoxon’s rank-sum test was performed for continuous variables, and Fisher’s exact test was performed for categorical variables
  4. bOne patient in the Non-AE group required oxygen (1 L/min O2 via a nasal cannula) at the time of sample collection. All other results were obtained at room air
  5. cImmunosuppressive agents included cyclosporine (N = 7) and cyclophosphamide (N = 2)