Figure legends
Figure 1. Lung function trajectories of the 295 asthmatic children.
As stated in the Methods, participants were classified into three slope categories, namely loss of function (significant negative slope), gain of lung function (significant positive slope) and null slope (non-significant slope). The lines are the individual FEV1 % predicted slopes over age (either positive, n=10 or negative, n=82). X axis is the age (8 to 18 years old) and Y axis is FEV1 % predicted (50 to 130%).
Figure 2. Relationship between z-score of FEV1at inclusion and individual FEV1 slopes.
The annualized rate of change (slope) for prebronchodilator FEV1 percent predicted was estimated for each participant and is described according to the z-score of FEV1 at inclusion for the three groups of slopes (negative, null or positive). A positive slope was defined by a significantly positive value of the slope, whereas a negative slope was defined by a significantly negative value of the slope according to the P-value obtained in the Pearson test. When the P-value was not significant, the slope was considered null.
A significant linear relationship between FEV1 at inclusion and the subsequent slope is evidenced using the Pearson test (R= -0.36, p<0.0001).