| Table 1: Characteristics of subjects in a group of families with a member with asthma (group A) and in a control group of families (group C) with asymptomatic airway hyperresponsiveness (AAHR) | ||||||
| Subjects with atopy | Subjects with AAHR | |||||
| Characteristic | Group A n = 94 |
Group C n = 94 |
In group A n = 60 |
In group C n = 37 |
In group A n = 38 |
In group C n = 25 |
| Age, yr, mean (and standard error of the mean [SEM]) | 35 (1.6) | 34 (1.6) | 33 (1.8) | 31 (2.6) | 33 (2.6) | 29 (3.2) |
| Sex, no. female | 47 | 47 | 29 | 11 | 23 | 15 |
| Forced expiratory volume in 1 second, % of predicted, mean (and SEM) |
102 (1.8) | 103 (1.4) | 102 (2.3) | 105 (2.5) | 99 (2.7) | 101 (3.1) |
| Peak expiratory flow, % of diurnal variation, mean (and SEM) |
4.6 (0.5) | 3.8 (0.4) | 6.0 (1.2) | 3.6 (0.5) | 4.6 (0.5) | 4.3 (0.5) |
| PC20, mg/mL, geometric mean (and SEM) | 24.2 (1.2) | 47.6* (1.2) | 19.0 (1.2) | 53.1# (1.3) | 7.0 (4.0) | 8.4 (3.2) |
| Atopic index, mean (and SEM) | 2.2 (0.19) | 1.1* (0.17) | 3.5 (0.19) | 2.5# (0.25) | 2.8 (0.4) | 1.4~ (0.4) |
| Eosinophil count, × 109/L, mean (and SEM) | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.16 (0.01) | 0.22 (0.01) | 0.21 (0.01) | 0.19 (0.03) | 0.18 (0.03) |
| IgE level, g/L, geometric mean (and SEM) | 108 (1.19) | 58* (1.17) | 199 (1.20) | 120 (1.28) | 177 (4.11) | 67~ (4.35) |
| *Significant difference between group A and group C.
#Significant difference between subjects with atopy in group A and in group C. ~Significant difference between subjects with AAHR in group A and in group C. | ||||||