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Table 1 Baseline characteristics stratified by sIgEtot group (low, intermediate, high)

From: Variability in total serum IgE over 1 year in severe asthmatics

Baseline characteristics (N = 41)

Low IgE group (< 76 IU/mL) (N = 10)

Intermediate IgE group (76–700 IU/mL) (N = 20)

High IgE group (> 700 IU/mL) (N = 11)

p value**

Difference specification***

Age (years)

 Mean (± SD)

57.7 ± 15.7

49.5 ± 14.7

40.4 ± 13.4

0.03*

1 vs 3

Gender

 Male

5 (29%)

8 (47%)

4 (24%)

0.84

 

 Female

5 (21%)

12 (50%)

7 (29%)

  

Race

 Caucasian

10 (28%)

19 (53%)

7 (19%)

0.03*

1 vs 3; 2 vs 3

 Other

0 (0%)

1 (20%)

4 (80%)

  

Smoking status

 Never smoked

6 (26%)

12 (52%)

5 (22%)

0.27

 

 Former smoker

3 (25%)

7 (58%)

2 (17%)

  

 Current smoker

1 (17%)

1 (17%)

4 (66%)

  

BMI (kg/m2)

 < 30

9 (25%)

17 (47%)

10 (28%)

0.79

 

 ≥ 30

1 (25%)

3 (75%)

0 (0%)

  

Medical history

 Allergic rhinitis

2 (9%)

13 (56%)

8 (35%)

0.02*

1 vs 3; 1 vs 2

 Atopic dermatitis

3 (17%)

11 (61%)

4 (22%)

0.33

 

 GERD

4 (44%)

4 (44%)

1 (11%)

0.23

 

 Nasal polyps

2 (25%)

3 (38%)

3 (38%)

0.59

 

Residence

 City

4 (18%)

10 (45%)

8 (36%)

0.51

 

 Suburbs

4 (40%)

5 (50%)

1 (10%)

  

 Rural/country

2 (22%)

5 (56%)

2 (22%)

  

GINA level of asthma control

 Controlled

3 (21%)

8 (57%)

3 (21%)

0.39

 

 Partly controlled

2 (18%)

7 (64%)

2 (18%)

  

 Uncontrolled

5 (33%)

4 (27%)

6 (40%)

  

Positive RAST testing

 D. pteronyssinus

4 (18%)

11 (50%)

7 (32%)

0.65

 

 Grass mix

4 (22%)

6 (33%)

8 (44%)

0.07

2 vs 3

 Cat dander

2 (12%)

10 (59%)

5 (29%)

0.41

 

 Dog dander

2 (12%)

7 (44%)

7 (44%)

0.16

 

 Birch

0 (0%)

5 (42%)

7 (58%)

0.005*

1 vs 3; 2 vs 3; 2 vs 3

 Mold

1 (8%)

5 (42%)

6 (50%)

0.1

 

Treatment

 ICS/LABA

10 (24%)

20 (49%)

11 (27%)

 

 SABA

5 (18%)

18 (64%)

5 (18%)

0.02*

1 vs 2; 2 vs 3

 LTRA

2 (10%)

12 (60%)

6 (30%)

0.11

 

 OCS

1 (13%)

3 (37%)

4 (50%)

0.34

 

 SABA/SAAC

1 (33%)

1 (33%)

1 (33%)

1

 

 LABA

0 (0%)

1 (100%)

0 (0%)

1

 

Asthma status

 % Predicted FEV1—mean (SD)

72.3 ± 28.6

86.6 ± 18.6

80.2 ± 12.2

0.20

 

 ACQ total score—median (range)

12.0 (2.0–14.0)

8.0 (5.0–13.0)

8.0 (4.0–13.0)

0.77

 

 Exhaled nitric oxide—median (range)

15.6 (7.1–46.7)

20.8 (9.6–154.0)

120.9 (5.7–236.0)

0.82

 
  1. BMI, Body Mass Index; D. pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease; ICS, inhaled corticosteroids; ICS/LABA, inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting β2 agonists; LABA, long-acting β2 agonists; LTRA, leukotriene receptor antagonist; OCS, oral corticosteroids; RAST, radio-allergo sorbent test; SD, standard deviation; SABA, short-acting β2 agonists; SABA/SAAC, short-acting anticholinergic
  2. * p-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant; ** Regression analysis for age/Fisher’s exact for other (categorical) variables; *** Tukey test for age/general linear model with contrasts for other (categorical) variables, the column indicates between which groups were observed the statistical differences: 1 = low sIgEtot subgroup, 2 = intermediate sIgEtot subgroup and 3 = high sIgEtot subgroup