Table 1 Demographic characteristics of the HCs and LOA patients

Number of subjects

60

15

15

13

Age

53.96 ± 6.89

57.60 ± 13.11

55.60 ± 8.80

50.14 ± 10.25

Female (%)

83.33

73.33

80.00

46.15*

Smoking history (%)

13.33

13.33

6.67

15.38

FEV₁

2.87 ± 0.21

2.22 ± 0.60*

1.78 ± 0.38*

1.14 ± 0.47*

FEV₁% predicted

0.94 ± 0.27

0.89 ± 0.57*

0.70 ± 0.06*

0.41 ± 0.14*

FVC

4.07 ± 0.61

3.11 ± 0.80*

2.95 ± 0.85*

2.39 ± 0.78*

FEV₁/FVC

0.84 ± 0.05

0.71 ± 0.07*

0.62 ± 0.10*

0.48 ± 0.12*

PEF

8.37 ± 0.94

6.22 ± 1.85*

4.26 ± 0.85*

2.83 ± 1.16*

FEF₇₅

0.89 ± 0.37

0.72 ± 0.20*

0.45 ± 0.14*

0.21 ± 0.10*

FEF₅₀

0.84 ± 0.31

0.49 ± 0.15*

0.33 ± 0.13*

0.13 ± 0.06*

FEF₂₅

0.74 ± 0.25

0.37 ± 0.12*

0.23 ± 0.07*

0.15 ± 0.07*

Blood eosinophilia (%)

1.27 ± 3.29

4.03 ± 3.91*

8.22 ± 6.48*

7.53 ± 6.60*

Blood neutrophils (%)

40.76 ± 17.47

58.82 ± 15.91*

60.17 ± 12.29*

71.39 ± 10.44*

Sputum eosinophils (%)

1.11 ± 0.53

3.58 ± 1.80*

9.72 ± 7.24*

11.56 ± 9.35*

Sputum neutrophils (%)

25.05 ± 3.26

31.98 ± 7.35*

33.37 ± 6.31*

42.02 ± 10.29*