Parameters | Total [n, (%)] | Cluster 1 [46, (32.2)] | Cluster 2 [54, (37.8)] | Cluster 3 [43, (30.0)] | p value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Demographic characteristics | |||||
 Age (years)‡ | 55.0 (42.0, 64.0) | 59.0 (48.5, 66.2) | 54.5 (43.7, 65.0) | 47.0 (39.0, 61.0) | 0.033* |
 Male, n (%) | 50 (34.9) | 13 (28.3) | 13 (24.1) | 24 (55.8) | 0.003* |
 Asthma onset age (years)†| 39.8 (17.6) | 41.6 (21.0) | 40.3 (17.5) | 37.2 (13.4) | 0.338 |
 BMI (kg/m2)‡ | 24.7 (22.3, 27.1) | 24.9 (23.2, 27.5) | 24.5 (22.5, 26.1) | 24.4 (21.0, 27.3) | 0.484 |
Characteristics associated with comorbid CRS | |||||
 Comorbid CRS, n (%) | 96 (67.1) | 1 (2.2) | 54 (100.0) | 41 (95.3) | < 0.001* |
 Comorbid NP, n (%) | 24 (16.8) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (7.4) | 20 (46.5) | < 0.001* |
 Lund-Mackay score‡ | 7 (0, 14) | 0 (0, 0) | 8 (6, 12) | 16 (10, 20) | < 0.001* |
Severity of airflow obstruction and airway inflammation | |||||
 Blood gas analysis | |||||
 PaO2 (mmHg)†| 76.9 (11.0) | 78.8 (10.2) | 80.0 (12.0) | 71.0 (8.0) | < 0.001* |
 PaCO2 (mmHg)‡ | 40.0 (37.0, 42.0) | 40.0 (37.0, 42.0) | 38.0 (35.0, 40.2) | 41.0 (39.0, 44.0) | < 0.001* |
Spirometry | |||||
 FEV1/FVC before bronchodilator (%)‡ | 72.4 (59.1, 83.7) | 78.1 (64.5, 85.1) | 82.6 (75.8, 86.4) | 56.7 (50.5, 62.0) | < 0.001* |
 FEV1/FVC after bronchodilator (%)‡ | 74.2 (63.0, 83.8) | 74.5 (65.2, 85.9) | 83.1 (78.6, 87.2) | 60.9 (53.6, 65.1) | < 0.001* |
 FEV1%pred before bronchodilator (%)‡ | 72.5 (23.7) | 73.4 (20.6) | 88.7 (16.5) | 51.2 (17.2) | < 0.001* |
 FEV1%pred after bronchodilator (%)†| 78.6 (21.9) | 78.6 (18.8) | 92.6 (14.2) | 60.9 (17.7) | < 0.001* |
Chest CT | |||||
 Bronchiectasis, n (%) | 27 (18.9) | 6 (13.0) | 9 (16.6) | 12 (27.9) | 0.175 |
 T/D ratio†| 0.248 (0.187) | 0.248 (0.019) | 0.242 (0.017) | 0.254 (0.017) | 0.005* |
 WA%†| 0.736 (0.389) | 0.737 (0.396) | 0.726 (0.037) | 0.750 (0.036) | 0.009* |
Characteristics associated with inflammation type | |||||
 Atopy, n (%) | 66 (46.1) | 14 (30.4) | 22 (40.7) | 30 (69.8) | 0.001* |
 Blood eosinophil percentage (%) ‡ | 4.8 (2.6, 9.5) | 2.6 (1.8, 4.9) | 4.4 (2.4, 8.9) | 9.9 (5.0, 13.0) | < 0.001* |
 Blood eosinophil count (× 109/L)‡ | 0.32 (0.15, 0.59) | 0.16 (0.11, 0.29) | 0.32 (0.14, 0.58) | 0.61 (0.38, 0.90) | < 0.001* |
 Serum T-IgE (kU/L)‡ | 137.0 (47.6, 312.0) | 56.2 (22.5, 173.0) | 142.0 (46.8, 329.0) | 213.0 (133.0, 533.0) | < 0.001* |
 Log(T-IgE)‡ | 2.07 (0.62) | 1.80 (0.60) | 2.06 (0.60) | 2.37 (0.54) | < 0.001* |
 Sputum eosinophil percentage (%)‡ | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 2.5) | 0.006* |
 FeNO (ppb)‡ | 39.2 (20.0, 54.3) | 33.0 (17.0, 39.8) | 39.4 (13.0, 52.2) | 54.5 (32.0, 84.0) | < 0.001* |
Medication on enrollment | |||||
 No medication, n (%) | 30 (20.9) | 14 (30.4) | 11 (20.4) | 5 (11.6) | 0.092 |
 ICS, n (%) | 93 (65.0) | 25 (54.3) | 32 (59.3) | 36 (83.7) | 0.008* |
 LABA, n (%) | 78 (54.5) | 19 (41.3) | 26 (48.1) | 33 (76.7) | 0.002* |
 LTRA, n (%) | 42 (29.3) | 13 (28.3) | 18 (33.3) | 11 (25.6) | 0.693 |
 Theophylline, n (%) | 38 (26.5) | 13 (28.3) | 13 (24.1) | 12 (27.9) | 0.87 |
 Antihistamines, n (%) | 20 (14.0) | 3 (6.5) | 10 (18.5) | 7 (16.3) | 0.198 |
 LAMA, n (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
Asthma severity§ |  |  |  |  | < 0.001* |
 Mild, n (%) | 66 (49.6) | 24 (57.1) | 32 (66.7) | 10 (23.3) | < 0.001* |
 Moderate, n (%) | 46 (34.6) | 14 (33.3) | 14 (29.2) | 18 (41.9) | 0.436 |
 Severe, n (%) | 21 (15.8) | 4 (9.5) | 2 (4.2) | 15 (34.9) | < 0.001* |