Table 1

Demographic, pre-bronchodilator and post-bronchodilator pulmonary function tests, blood inflammatory information among healthy subjects, patients with asthma and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Healthy subjects (n=94§)Patients with asthma (n=75)Patients with COPD (n=215)
Demography
 Age (years)50.7 (17.2)48.7 (11.2)67.1 (7.2)†‡
 Female sex (%)594741
 Body mass index (kg/m2)27.7 (5.5)33.5 (7.5)*27.9 (4.9)†
 Race (white/African-American/other) (%)65/20/1576/17/787/7/6‡
Pre-bronchodilator
 FEV1, %predicted98 (12)53 (14)*44 (18)†‡
 FVC, %predicted98 (10)69 (13)*76 (17) †‡
 FEV1/FVC79 (6)61 (11)*43 (13)†‡
Post-bronchodilator
 FEV1, %predicted103 (11)65 (11)*51 (19)†‡
 FVC, %predicted99 (10)80 (14)*85 (18)‡
 FEV1/FVC82 (6)65 (11)*45 (13)†‡
Blood tests
 Samples (n)9373213
 Total white blood cells (N/μL)5894 (1717)7902 (2962)*7247 (1999)‡
 Neutrophils (%)58.1 (7.8)59.2 (12.4)63.3 (9.7)‡
 Lymphocytes (%)31.7 (7.4)28.2 (10.5)24.6 (8.3)‡
 Eosinophils (%)2.3 (1.6)3.9 (3.7)*2.9 (1.8)‡
  • *P<0.01 for healthy versus asthmatic subjects.

  • †P<0.01 for asthmatic versus COPD subjects.

  • ‡P<0.01 for COPD subjects versus healthy subjects.

  • §Healthy datasets contain 51 Severe Asthma Research Program and 43 SubPopulations and InteRmediate Outcome Measures In COPD Study subjects. Benjamini–Hochberg post-hoc tests were performed.

  • FEV1, Forced expiratory volume in one second; FVC, Forced vital capacity.