Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC)/CCL17 and IgE are associated with elderly asthmatics

Table 1 Characteristics of the study population

		Normal	Asthma
Number of subjects (female/male)		106(62/44)	121 (66/55)
Age (years)		45.3 ± 12.7(19~ 72)	50.8 ± 16.7 (15~ 84)
FEV1^§		4.1 ± 0.9 (2.7~ 5.3)^**	2.1 ± 0.8 (1~ 4)^**
FEV1^§ (% predicted)		101.6 ± 11.9 (87.1~ 121.3)^*	81.4 ± 22.2 (34~ 125)^*
FVC^∥ (% predicted)		95.2 ± 11.5 (77.9~ 112.9)	91.3 ± 17.8 (40~ 140)
FEV1/FVC (%)		91.6 ± 4.9 (84.8~ 97.9)^**	71.9 ± 14.2 (35~ 98)^**
Blood cells	Neutrophils	55.3 ± 9.7 (28.5~ 75.4)	59.5 ± 14.3 (27~ 92)
	Lymphocytes	35.7 ± 9.3 (20~ 67.3)^**	26.8 ± 11.0 (4~ 52)^**
	Monocytes	6.7 ± 3.2 (2.0~ 19.0)^**	7.0 ± 2.7 (1~ 17)^**
	Eosinophils	2.0 ± 1.4 (0~ 6.0)^**	5.7 ± 8.4 (0~ 55)^**
	Basophils	0.3 ± 0.3(0~ 1.3)^*	0.5 ± 0.5 (0~ 4)^*
BALF cells	Neutrophils	2.0 ± 1.6 (0~ 5.1)^**	16.6 ± 26.7 (0~ 90)^**
	Lymphocytes	10.6 ± 8.4 (1.0~ 29.2)	16.9 ± 17.0 (0~ 69)
	Macrophage	86.2 ± 10.4 (62.0~ 99.0)^**	59.9 ± 27.8 (3~ 95)^**
	Eosinophils	0.2 ± 0.6 (0~ 1.9)	3.9 ± 8.5 (0~ 52)
	Basophils	0 ± 0 (0~ 0)	0.04 ± 0.1(0~ 1)
	Epithelial cells	0.8 ± 1.0 (0~ 2.5)	2.38 ± 9.6 (0~ 86)
	Total IgE	92.8 ± 143.4(2.2~ 694.2)^**	376.4 ± 612.2 (2~ 3000)^**
	Der p 1-specific IgE	0.8 ± 2.1(0~ 10.4)^*	4.1 ± 15.3 (0~ 100)^*
IgE	Der p 1-specific IgE (class)	0.4 ± 1.0(0~ 3)	0.62 ± 1.2 (0~ 5)
	Der f 1-specific IgE	1.5 ± 4.4(0~ 23.4)^**	7.3 ± 19.5 (0~ 100)^**
	Der f 1-specific IgE (class)	0.8 ± 1.2(0~ 4)	1.2 ± 1.5 (0~ 5)

FEV1^§: forced expiratory volume in 1 second
FVC^∥: forced vital capacity
Data are expressed as the means ± SD (the lowest value ~ the highest value)
*p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01 indicate statistically significant differences between the normal and asthma groups