From: Nationwide survey of refractory asthma with bronchiectasis by inflammatory subtypes
Current inflammatory type | N‡ | Type 2-low N = 68 | Type 2-intermediate N = 40 | Type 2-high N = 34 | p-value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age, years | 142 | 62.7 ± 16.5 | 62.9 ± 13.7 | 64.7 ± 12.3 | 0.89 |
Sex, male, n (%) | 142 | 18 (26.5) | 12 (30.0) | 15 (44.1) | 0.19 |
Body mass index, kg/m2 | 121 | 22.8 ± 3.6 | 22.5 ± 5.0 | 23.2 ± 4.5 | 0.43 |
Follow-up period, years | 136 | 7.9 ± 5.8§ | 6.9 ± 5.6 | 5.3 ± 6.0 | 0.04 |
Smoking history, never/past/current, % | 140 | 70/28/2 | 63/30/8 | 70/24/6 | 0.58 |
Age at diagnosis of asthma, years | 135 | 40.4 ± 22.4 | 40.5 ± 21.8 | 48.4 ± 19.1 | 0.15 |
Age at diagnosis of bronchiectasis/bronchiolitis, years | 122 | 55.8 ± 17.6 | 59.3 ± 15.9 | 60.5 ± 15.2 | 0.48 |
Period from asthma diagnosis to bronchiectasis/ bronchiolitis diagnosis, years | 117 | 13.1 ± 15.2 | 19.8 ± 20.6 | 12.8 ± 13.6 | 0.40 |
ICS dose, μg/day (eq. to fluticasone propionate) | 139 | 613 ± 328§ | 671 ± 364 | 847 ± 401 | 0.02 |
Long-acting β2 agonist, n (%) | 141 | 63 (92.7) | 37 (92.5) | 31 (93.9) | 0.97 |
Long-acting muscarinic antagonist, n (%) | 141 | 42 (61.8)§ | 17 (42.5) | 8 (24.2) | 0.001 |
Macrolide therapy, n (%) | 141 | 40 (59.7)§ | 16 (40.0) | 10 (29.4) | 0.009 |
Biologics use, n (%) | 142 | 17 (25.0) | 11 (27.5) | 4 (11.8) | 0.22 |
OCS use, never/past/current, n | 137 | 39/8/19 | 24/5/9 | 20/8/5 | 0.40 |
OCS dose in long-term OCS* users, < 5 mg/day / ≥ 5 mg/day /missing (eq. to prednisolone), n | 54 | 8/16/3 | 1/13/0 | 5/8/0 | 0.13 |
Mucolytic agent use, n (%) | 140 | 38 (55.9)§ | 14 (35.9) | 8 (24.2) | 0.006 |
Physiotherapy or airway clearance, n (%) | 140 | 2 (2.9) | 2 (5.1) | 1 (3.0) | 0.83 |
Blood white cell counts, /μL | 142 | 7705 ± 2691 | 7414 ± 2619 | 7608 ± 2002 | 0.69 |
 Neutrophil counts, /μL |  | 5407 ± 2611 | 4783 ± 2310 | 4415 ± 1831 | 0.15 |
 Eosinophil counts, /μL |  | 121 ± 95§¶ | 467 ± 775§ | 870 ± 480 |  < 0.0001 |
Serum total IgE, IU/mL | 88 | 275 ± 335§ | 446 ± 607 | 573 ± 683 | 0.02 |
Serum C-reactive protein, mg/dL | 116 | 1.6 ± 3.3§ | 0.9 ± 2.1 | 0.2 ± 0.2 | 0.005 |
Exhaled nitrate oxide, ppb | 142 | 15.9 ± 8.0§¶ | 50.5 ± 41.3§ | 82.4 ± 63.0 |  < 0.0001 |
%FEV1, % | 126 | 78.7 ± 32.5 | 88.4 ± 22.5 | 87.5 ± 31.9 | 0.045 |
FEV1/FVC, % | 126 | 66.9 ± 16.0 | 69.8 ± 12.8 | 64.9 ± 13.2 | 0.39 |
Findings of computed tomography | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Bronchiectasis/bronchiolitis/both, % |  | 14/28/58 | 28/24/48 | 21/33/46 | 0.54 |
 Modified Reiff score | 134 | 3.4 ± 3.6 | 3.1 ± 3.3 | 1.9 ± 2.5 | 0.13 |
 Number of lobes affected by bronchiolitis | 124 | 3.4 ± 2.4 | 2.3 ± 2.0 | 2.7 ± 2.2 | 0.043 |
Sputum S. pneumonia ( +), n (%) | 102 | 6 (11.3) | 2 (6.9) | 4 (20.0) | 0.37 |
Gram-negative bacteria ( +), n (%) | 102 | 32 (60.4)§¶ | 7 (24.1) | 4 (20.0) | 0.0005 |
P. aeruginosa ( +), n (%) | 102 | 21 (39.6)§¶ | 3 (10.3) | 2 (10.0) | 0.003 |
Presence of exacerbations requiring systemic corticosteroid in the last 2 years†, n (%) | 104 | 31 (62.0) | 13 (44.8) | 14 (56.0) | 0.33 |
Presence of exacerbations requiring antibiotics in the last 2 years†, n (%) | 110 | 33 (62.3) | 9 (28.1) | 9 (36.0) | 0.005 |
Presence of bronchopneumonia in the last 2 years†, n (%) | 112 | 31 (56.4)§¶ | 10 (30.3) | 5 (20.8) | 0.004 |
Presence of hospitalisation for exacerbation in the last 2 years†, n (%) | 112 | 15 (27.8)§ | 6 (18.2) | 1 (4.0) | 0.045 |