Table 2 Comparison of sputum cytokines within the three clusters

Male, n (%)

1 (20.0)

1 (11.1)

4 (44.4)

0.257

Age (years)^‡

55.0 (52.5, 73.5)

63.0 (49.5, 74.0)

62.0 (45.0, 65.5)

0.916

IL-5 (μg/ml)^‡

0 (0,1.16)

0 (0, 0.98)

7.23 (3.39, 7.85)

< 0.001*

IL-4 (μg/ml)^‡

24.5 (21.2, 49.6)

32.9 (19.3, 39.9)

78.3 (51.5, 266.9)

0.007*

IL-13 (μg/ml)^‡

0 (0, 410)

249 (0, 315)

825 (463, 1924)

0.002*

IL-25 (μg/ml)^‡

0 (0, 399)

133 (0, 186)

317 (138, 2946)

0.058

IL-33 (μg/ml)^‡

0 (0, 2.92)

0 (0, 0)

10.00 (6.31, 36.49)

< 0.001*

IFN-γ (μg/ml)^‡

0 (0, 17.1)

0 (0, 21.2)

42.4 (20.0, 150.0)

0.013*

IL-10 (μg/ml)^‡

8.81 (0, 10.60)

9.88 (0, 12.90)

12.00 (4.59, 46.10)

0.210

IL-17 (μg/ml)^‡

0 (0, 9.26)

5.66 (0.00, 6.57)

17.60 (7.31, 83.90)

0.012*

TNF-α (μg/ml)^‡

0 (0, 7.64)

3.01 (0.00, 5.44)

19.60 (8.56, 73.00)

0.002*