Expression of human Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 (IRF-3) in alveolar macrophages relates to clinical and functional traits in COPD.

Table 1 Clinical and demographic characteristics of the study groups

	COPD n = 22	Smoker controls (SC) n = 21	Non-smoker controls (nSC) n = 15	p-value
Age (yrs)	70 [65–76]	68 [60–64]	69 [65–72]	0.592
Male/Females, n (%)	20 (90) / 2 (10)	17 (81) / 4 (19)	5 (33)/10 (67)	0.005
Current/Former smokers, n (%)	11 (50) / 11 (50)	7 (33) / 14 (67)	---	0.278
Smoking exposure (pack-yrs)	42 [35–50]	40 [23–50]	---	0.451
Dyspnoea (mMRC)	1 [1–2]°	0 [0–1]	0 [0–0]	0.025
Acute exacerbations (n)	1 [0–2] ^£	n.a.	n.a.	---
FEV1/FVC (%)	61 [47–65]*	75 [73–81]^#	81 [79–83]	< 0.001
FEV1 (%)	67 [49–84]^$	102 [91–109]	104 [93–118]	< 0.001
deltaFEV1 postBD (L)	0.06 [-0.02–0.1]	n.a.	n.a.	---
Chronic bronchitis, n (%)	11 (50) /11 (50)	1 (4) / 20 (96)	—	< 0.001
Inhaled treatments ICS/LABA, n (%) LABA + LAMA, n (%) LAMA, n (%)	6 (27%) 1 (5%) 15 (68%)	NA	NA

Data are expressed as median [interquartile range] or absolute number (percentage). P-value is referred to the comparison between the 3 groups performed by Kruskal-Wallis (or by Mann-Whitney/Chi-square in the case of 2 groups), as appropriate
*p < 0.001 vs. SC and nSC; #p = 0.044 vs. nSC; $p < 0.001 vs. SC and nSC. °data available in 14/22 patients; ^£ data available in 20/22 patients (ICS/LABA: inhaled corticosteroids + long-acting beta-2 agonists fixed combinations; LABA + LAMA: long-acting beta-2 agonists + long acting antimuscarinic agents; LAMA: long acting antimuscarinic agents)

ISSN: 1465-993X