Table 1 Characteristics of the study population at baseline a
Characteristics | PCT group (n = 90) | Control group (n = 90) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
Age in years, mean (SD) | 40.4 ± 12.3 | 39.4 ± 11.7 | 0.594 |
Male sex, n (%) | 49 (54.4) | 52 (57.8) | 0.652 |
Duration of asthma in years, mean (SD) | 22.6 ± 11.7 | 21.8 ± 12.1 | 0.621 |
Smoking status, n (%) | Â | Â | Â |
Current | 17 (18.9) | 14 (15.6) | 0.553 |
Former | 29 (32.2) | 28 (31.1) | 0.872 |
Never | 44 (48.9) | 48 (53.3) | 0.551 |
Fever, n (%) | 22 (24.4) | 17 (18.9) | 0.365 |
Cough, n (%) | 69 (76.7) | 63 (70.0) | 0.312 |
Sputum, n (%) | 56 (62.2) | 51 (56.7) | 0.447 |
Respiratory medication, n (%) | Â | Â | Â |
ICS | 23 (25.5) | 27 (30.0) | 0.505 |
ICS + LABA | 59 (65.5) | 56 (62.2) | 0.641 |
HR, beats/min | 101 ± 18 | 104 ± 16 | 0.319 |
RR, breaths/min | 25 ± 7 | 24 ± 6 | 0.471 |
Systolic blood pressure, mmHg | 111 ± 20 | 108 ± 19 | 0.271 |
pH | 7.35 ± 0.08 | 7.36 ± 0.07 | 0.984 |
SaO2,%b | 89 ± 5 | 88 ± 4 | 0.304 |
PaO2, mmHgb | 61 ± 9 | 59 ± 8 | 0.178 |
PaCO2, mmHgb | 58 ± 16 | 56 ± 14 | 0.410 |
CRP, mg/L | 21.1 ± 9.1 | 22.3 ± 9.3 | 0.388 |
WBC, ×109/L | 11.8 ± 4.1 | 11.4 ± 3.7 | 0.598 |
PCT, μg/L | 0.107 (0.052 to 0.273) | 0.114 (0.055 to 0.266) | 0.912 |
FEV1,% of predicted value | 39.2 ± 9.6 | 39.8 ± 10.3 | 0.705 |
Clinical events related to asthma in previous year, n (%) | Â | Â | Â |
Asthma exacerbations | 78 (86.7) | 75 (83.3) | 0.531 |
Emergency room visits | 69 (76.7) | 65 (72.2) | 0.494 |
Hospitalizations | 17 (18.9) | 14 (15.5) | 0.553 |
Need for systemic corticosteroids for ≥3 days | 53 (58.9) | 49 (54.4) | 0.547 |