Table 1 Comparison of clinical asthma phenotypes of patients with high expression of the IL-6 + sIL-6Rα gene signature versus low expression of gene signature

IL-6 + sIL-6Rα gene signature Z-score

0.79 ± 0.2

18

− 0.69 ± 0.32

19

2.2e−7

Age (y)

47 ± 9

18

49.16 ± 14

19

0.26

Male (N)

10

18

10

19

0.86

Smokers (N)

13

18

13

19

0.8

ICS users (N)

5

18

3

19

0.37

Body mass index (kg/m²)

28 ± 5.4

18

26.34 ± 5.17

19

0.15

Sputum eosinophils (10⁶)

0.009 ± 0.018

13

0.21 ± 0.35

15

0.0005*

Sputum eosinophils (%)

0.88 ± 1.2

13

6.3 ± 10.6

16

0.005*

Sputum neutrophils (10⁶)

0.77 ± 0.61

13

4.8 ± 12.1

15

0.053

Sputum neutrophils (%)

53 ± 23.6

13

57.6 ± 16.1

16

0.79

FEV₁ (% predicted)

80.7 ± 21

18

83 ± 18.3

18

0.69

FEV₁.FVC (%)

0.8 ± 0.02

18

0.8 ± 0.03

19

0.36

Total IgE (kU/L)

170 ± 303

11

240 ± 342

13

0.25

Alveolar concentration NO (ppb)

5.77 ± 2.71

13

7.46 ± 4.9

14

0.71

Bronchial flux of NO (nL/s)

0.59 ± 0.6

13

1.03 ± 0.73

14

0.48

CD3 T cells biopsy (cells/mm²)

74 ± 45

18

75.3 ± 55.8

19

0.94

CD4 T cells biopsy (cells/mm²)

21.85 ± 15.3

18

19.4 ± 16.5

19

0.48

CD8 T cells biopsy (cells/mm²)

29 ± 21.8

18

32.5 ± 23.2

19

0.53

CD68 macrophages biopsy (cells/mm²)

13.7 ± 11.7

18

15 ± 13.3

19

0.76

Blood eosinophils (%)

3.1 ± 2

17

4.3 ± 2

18

0.07

Blood basophils (%)

0.55 ± 0.65

17

0.8 ± 1

18

0.44

Blood lymphocytes (%)

35.49 ± 11.15

17

32.62 ± 9.8

18

0.39

Blood neutrophils (%)

56.48 ± 9.6

17

58.3 ± 10

18

0.54

Blood monocytes (%)

4.1 ± 3.5

17

3.843 ± 2

18

1