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Table 4 Characteristics of patients classified with the exacerbation-risk score

From: Serum sST2 levels predict severe exacerbation of asthma

 

Exacerbation-risk score

P-value*

0

1

2

3

 

(N = 72)

(N = 19)

(N = 6)

(N = 7)

 

Patients with exacerbation of asthma, n (%)

1 (1.4)

2 (10.5)

2 (33.3)

6 (85.7)

< 0.001

Age, mean (SD)

54.1 ± 14.6

56.1 ± 17.3

47.2 ± 20.0

59.7 ± 18.4

0.321

Sex, M: F, n (%)

24 (33.8): 48 (66.7)

13 (68.4): 6 (31.6)

2 (33.3): 4 (66.7)

3 (42.9): 4 (57.1)

0.050

BMI, median (IQR)

22.9 (20.6–27.4)

23.1 (21.5–26.7)

23.1 (19.6–28.6)

27.9 (21.8–30.1)

0.538

Smoking, n (%)

 Current smoker

8 (11.1)

1 (5.3)

0 (0)

1 (28.6)

0.527

 Ex-smoker

19 (26.4)

6 (31.6)

4 (66.7)

2 (14.3)

 

 Never-smoker

45 (62.5)

12 (63.2)

2 (33.3)

4 (57.1)

 

Asthma control, n (%)

 Well controlled

20 (27.8)

7 (36.8)

3 (50.0)

0 (0)

< 0.001

 Partially controlled

42 (58.3)

9 (47.4)

1 (16.7)

1 (14.3)

 

 Uncontrolled

10 (13.9)

3 (15.8)

2 (33.3)

6 (85.7)

 

Treatment step, n (%)

 1

4 (5.5)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0.005

 2

11 (15.3)

1 (5.3)

1 (16.7)

1 (14.2)

 

 3

16 (22.2)

4 (21.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

 

 4

39 (54.2)

12 (63.2)

2 (33.3)

3 (42.9)

 

 5

2 (2.8)

2 (10.5)

3 (50.0)

3 (42.9)

 

sST2 (ng/ml), median (IQR)

11.0 (8.8–13.0)

21.1 (18.8–28.4)

11.8 (11.4–14.3)

26.4 (20.8–34.0)

< 0.001

WBC (/μL), median (IQR)

6200 (5225–6800)

5900 (4700–7200)

10,250 (9000–12,350)

10,500 (9700–12,100)

< 0.001

Neutrophil (/μL), median (IQR)

3496 (2786–4268)

3553 (2248–4650)

6333 (6117–10,381)

8159 (7497–9196)

< 0.001

Eosinophil (/μL), median (IQR)

199 (133–335)

201 (45–307)

229 (75–677)

87 (32–303)

0.273

Eosinophil (%), median (IQR)

3.7 (2.1–6.2)

3.4 (0.9–4.9)

2.4 (0.6–7.4)

1.0 (0.3–2.5) †

0.045

CRP (mg/dl), median (IQR)

0.1 (0–0.2)

0.0 (0–0.)

0.1 (0–0.4)

0.1 (0.1–0.5)

0.195

IgE (IU/ml), median (IQR)

201 (45–684)

236 (104–330)

60 (8–843)

73 (3–2656)

0.432

IL-8 (pg/ml), median (IQR)

13.0 (10.5–15.8)

21.9 (9.7–31.0) †

11.7 (7.9–19.8)

16.0 (11.0–25.2)

0.063

IL-6 (pg/ml), median (IQR)

1.0 (0.5–1.8)

0.9 (0.5–1.9)

2.5 (1.2–8.0)

1.8 (0.3–3.7)

0.143

Serum H2O2 (U. CARR), median (IQR)

345 (315–401)

322 (294–356)

341 (304–390)

383 (336–390)

0.182

FeNO (ppm), median (IQR)

23.5 (16.0–38.3)

24.0 (15.0–63.0)

19.0 (13.3–49.8)

16.0 (11.0–121.0)

0.892

EBC H2O2 (U. CARR) a

0.4 (0.0–1.0)

0.5 (0.2–1.1)

0.4 (0.0–0.6)

0.6 (0.3–0.7)

0.751

VC (L), median (IQR)

2.9 (2.5–3.8)

3.7 (2.6–4.4)

3.7 (3.3–3.8)

2.3 (2.0–2.9) †

0.079

%VC (%), mean (SD)

106.7 (45.6)

107.9 (19.5)

114.0 (13.0)

87.3 (14.2) ‡

0.014

FVC (L), median (IQR)

2.9 (2.4–3.7)

3.7 (2.5–4.4)

3.6 (3.2–3.8)

2.2 (1.8–2.9) †

0.087

%FVC (%), mean (SD)

98.6 (14.6)

97.1 (15.4)

107.1 (15.4)

79.4 (12.1) ‡

0.009

FEV1 (L), median (IQR)

2.3 (1.8–2.7)

2.5 (1.4–3.1)

2.8 (2.0–3.0)

1.6 (1.3–1.9)

0.142

%FEV1 (%), mean (SD)

90.1 (17.8)

86.5 (23.5)

97.7 (24.3)

71.1 (22.3) ‡

0.063

FEV1/FVC (%), median (IQR)

76.0 (69.2–81.0)

70.3 (67.6–79.8)

79.4 (66.0–82.0)

73.6 (64.0–83.6)

0.550

  1. *P-values for parametric, non-parametric, and categorical data were calculated using a one-way ANOVA test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Chi-square test, respectively
  2. P < 0.05 vs. a score of 0, calculated using the Steel test
  3. P < 0.05 vs. a score of 0, calculated using the Dunnett test
  4. *†‡ Bold letters, P < 0.05
  5. aA total of 81 patients (scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3: N = 56, 17, 4, and 4, respectively) were evaluated
  6. BMI body mass index, WBC white blood cells, FeNO fractional exhaled nitric oxide, EBC exhaled breath condensate, SD standard deviation, IQR interquartile range