Table 1 Comparison of SA patients with or without chronic OCS treatment (n = 982)

N (%)

771 (79)

211 (21)

N/A

Gender: F (%) (n = 982)

463 (60)

107 (51)

0.018

Age (n = 981)

53 ± 16

55 ± 17

0.0792

  < 12 yr

241 (32)

41 (20)

< 0.0001

 12–40 yr

296 (39)

71 (34)

  ≥ 40 yr

222 (29)

97 (46)

BMI (n = 982)

28 ± 13

27 ± 5

0.2454

 Never (%)

471 (61)

126 (60)

0.092

 Current (%)

62 (8)

9 (4)

 Ex (%)

238 (31)

76 (36)

Estimated number of packyears (n = 386)

15 (7–25)

15 (7–25)

0.7406

Atopic status: y (%) (n = 982)

554 (72)

119 (56)

< 0.0001

Respiratory Familial History of asthma: true (%) (n = 982)

348 (45)

70 (33)

0.001

 City (%)

241 (31)

57 (28)

0.201

 Countryside (%)

281 (37)

70 (34)

 Sub-urban (%)

246 (32)

80 (39)

SABA: y (%) (n = 982)

656 (85)

176 (83)

0.3080

LABA: y (%) (n = 982)

755 (98)

211 (100)

0.4520

LAMA: y (%) (n = 982)

20 (3)

8 (4)

0.2380

  < 4

N/A

29 (14)

N/A

 4–8

76 (36)

 8–16

72 (34)

  > 16 mg/d

34 (16)

Anti-IL5: y (%) (n = 982)

63 (8)

36 (17)

< 0.0001

Anti-IgE: y (%) (n = 982)

140 (18)

31 (15)

0.1410

Macrolides: y (%) (n = 982)

4 (1)

1 (1)

0.7070

 ACT (n = 758)

14.0 ± 5.3

12.9 ± 5.2

0.0195

 ACQ (n = 642)

2.5 ± 1.3

2.8 ± 1.4

0.0319

 AQLQ (n = 686)

4.2 ± 1.4

3.9 ± 1.4

0.0259

Exacerbations in last 12 months (n = 966)

2 (0–3)

3 (1–4)

< 0.0001

≥3 OCS burst for asthma exacerbation in last 12 months (n = 966)

235 (31)

128 (60)

< 0.0001

Number of emergency visits in last year (n = 340)

1 (0–1)

1 (0–2)

0.1177

Number of hospitalizations in last year (n = 337)

1 (0–1)

1 (0–1)

0.0690

Near fatal episodes last year (n = 99)

0 (0–0)

0 (0–1)

0.2762

Death: (%) (n = 982)

5 (0.6)

5 (2.4)

0.043

FEV₁ (L) (n = 953)

2.01 ± 0.81

1.97 ± 0.86

0.5144

FEV₁ (% predicted) (n = 953)

69 ± 21

67 ± 23

0.1874

FVC (% predicted) (n = 953)

87 ± 19

87 ± 23

0.7476

FEV₁/FVC (% predicted) (n = 953)

64 ± 12

62 ± 13

0.0508

FEV₁ Reversibility (n = 793)

11 ± 14

12 ± 13

0.1299

Total Lung Capacity (n = 838)

103 (91–115)

102 (89–113)

0.3674

Functional Residual Capacity (n = 692)

115 (96–141)

117 (98–138)

0.9700

Residual Volume (n = 782)

137 (110–167)

136 (107–171)

0.4914

DLCO (%) (n = 700)

83 ± 21

80 ± 19

0.1038

KCO (%) (n = 672)

98 ± 21

97 ± 20

0.6176

PC20M Value (mg/ml) (n = 88)

1.1 (0.26–8.00)

0.34 (0.10–2.00)

0.1338

Total serum IgE (kU/l) (n = 818)

182 (66–506)

162 (66–366)

0.3237

Blood Eosinophils (/mm³) (n = 800)

290 (120–526)

339 (110–685)

0.2006

  < 150

192 (30)

52 (31)

0.071

 150–300

133 (21)

22 (13)

 300–400

81 (13)

21 (12)

  > 400

225 (36)

74 (44)

Sputum eosinophils (%) (n = 225)

7.2 (1.4–37.0)

6.0 (0.4–21.0)

0.1753

Sputum neutrophils (%) (n = 225)

51 (29–73)

63 (35–80)

0.3453

 Paucigranulo

18%

19%

0.450

 Eosino (≥3%)

60%

49%

 Neutro (≥76%)

17%

26%

 Mixed

5%

7%

Exhaled NO (50 ml/sec) (ppb) (n = 689)

24 (13–47)

30 (17–58)

0.0269

Emphysema (n = 971)

65 (9)

23 (11)

0.002

Bronchiectasis (n = 971)

109 (14)

42 (20)

0.001

Rhinosinusitis (n = 971)

396 (52)

118 (56)

0.463

Nasal polyposis (n = 971)

193 (26)

66 (31)

0.178

Overweight or obesity (n = 971)

393 (52)

100 (48)

0.507

Psychopathology (n = 971)

140 (18)

39 (19)

0.630

GERD (n = 971)

262 (34)

94 (45)

0.007

Vocal Cord Dysfunctions (n = 292)

1 (0.5)

1 (1)

0.371

ABPA (n = 971)

31 (4)

11 (5)

0.679

Aspirine-sensitive asthma (n = 971)

46 (6)

18 (9)

0.323

EGPA (Churg Strauss) (n = 971)

13 (2)

14 (7)

< 0.0001

Occupational asthma (n = 971)

24 (3)

7 (3)

0.1950

Premenstrual asthma (n = 971)

6 (1)

1 (0.5)

0.936

Aspergillar asthma (n = 292)

7 (3)

4 (6)

0.312