Table 4. Parameters associated with the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy in the stepwise multivariate model analysis
No-Ex vs. Low-Ex No-Ex vs. Low-Ex No-Ex vs. High-Ex No-Ex vs. High-Ex Low-Ex vs. High-Ex Low-Ex vs. High-Ex
OR (95% CI) p1 OR (95% CI) p2 OR (95% CI) p3 p for overall model
Atopic dermatitis (yes vs no)
0.001 (0.001; 0.207)
0.011
24.367 (0.113; 5268.368)
0.244
25420.421 (8.282; 78020.150)
0.013
<0.001
Age at 1st wheeze (per month increased)
1.115 (0.971; 1.281)
1.222
0.390 (0.174; 0.874)
0.022
0.350 (0.151; 0.811)
0.014
<0.001
Haemophilus genus in the BALF (yes vs no)
121.758 (4.836; 3065.791)
0.004
0.069 (0.001; 9.416)
0.287
0.001 (0.001; 0.231)
0.015
0.020
RBM-BSM distance (per 50µm increased)
6.895 (1.568; 30.321)
0.011
0.002 (0.000; 2.303)
0.085
0.001 (0.001; 0.479)
0.031
<0.001
Norm. BSM area (per 5% increased)
4.606 (1.398; 15.173)
0.012
91.105 (3.767; 2203.273)
0.006
19.778 (1.485; 263.461)
0.024
<0.001
BALF = Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; PMN = Polymorphonuclear cells; RBM= Reticular basement membrane; BSM = Bronchial smooth muscle. Patients were divided according to the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation, n=20), Low-Ex (1 or 2 exacerbations, n=27) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations, n=33). Parameters associated with the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy were determined using stepwise multinomial logistic regression model and results were expressed for reference group vs. compared group. For each parameter, the odd ratio (OR) was presented with the 95% confidence interval. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant (bold). For each model, only parameters with significant OR were presented. An OR<1 was in favour of the reference group and an OR >1 was in favour of the compared group. BALF = Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; PMN = Polymorphonuclear cells; RBM= Reticular basement membrane; BSM = Bronchial smooth muscle. Patients were divided according to the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation, n=20), Low-Ex (1 or 2 exacerbations, n=27) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations, n=33). Parameters associated with the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy were determined using stepwise multinomial logistic regression model and results were expressed for reference group vs. compared group. For each parameter, the odd ratio (OR) was presented with the 95% confidence interval. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant (bold). For each model, only parameters with significant OR were presented. An OR<1 was in favour of the reference group and an OR >1 was in favour of the compared group. BALF = Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; PMN = Polymorphonuclear cells; RBM= Reticular basement membrane; BSM = Bronchial smooth muscle. Patients were divided according to the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation, n=20), Low-Ex (1 or 2 exacerbations, n=27) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations, n=33). Parameters associated with the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy were determined using stepwise multinomial logistic regression model and results were expressed for reference group vs. compared group. For each parameter, the odd ratio (OR) was presented with the 95% confidence interval. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant (bold). For each model, only parameters with significant OR were presented. An OR<1 was in favour of the reference group and an OR >1 was in favour of the compared group. BALF = Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; PMN = Polymorphonuclear cells; RBM= Reticular basement membrane; BSM = Bronchial smooth muscle. Patients were divided according to the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation, n=20), Low-Ex (1 or 2 exacerbations, n=27) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations, n=33). Parameters associated with the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy were determined using stepwise multinomial logistic regression model and results were expressed for reference group vs. compared group. For each parameter, the odd ratio (OR) was presented with the 95% confidence interval. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant (bold). For each model, only parameters with significant OR were presented. An OR<1 was in favour of the reference group and an OR >1 was in favour of the compared group. BALF = Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; PMN = Polymorphonuclear cells; RBM= Reticular basement membrane; BSM = Bronchial smooth muscle. Patients were divided according to the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation, n=20), Low-Ex (1 or 2 exacerbations, n=27) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations, n=33). Parameters associated with the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy were determined using stepwise multinomial logistic regression model and results were expressed for reference group vs. compared group. For each parameter, the odd ratio (OR) was presented with the 95% confidence interval. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant (bold). For each model, only parameters with significant OR were presented. An OR<1 was in favour of the reference group and an OR >1 was in favour of the compared group. BALF = Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; PMN = Polymorphonuclear cells; RBM= Reticular basement membrane; BSM = Bronchial smooth muscle. Patients were divided according to the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation, n=20), Low-Ex (1 or 2 exacerbations, n=27) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations, n=33). Parameters associated with the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy were determined using stepwise multinomial logistic regression model and results were expressed for reference group vs. compared group. For each parameter, the odd ratio (OR) was presented with the 95% confidence interval. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant (bold). For each model, only parameters with significant OR were presented. An OR<1 was in favour of the reference group and an OR >1 was in favour of the compared group. BALF = Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; PMN = Polymorphonuclear cells; RBM= Reticular basement membrane; BSM = Bronchial smooth muscle. Patients were divided according to the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation, n=20), Low-Ex (1 or 2 exacerbations, n=27) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations, n=33). Parameters associated with the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy were determined using stepwise multinomial logistic regression model and results were expressed for reference group vs. compared group. For each parameter, the odd ratio (OR) was presented with the 95% confidence interval. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant (bold). For each model, only parameters with significant OR were presented. An OR<1 was in favour of the reference group and an OR >1 was in favour of the compared group. BALF = Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; PMN = Polymorphonuclear cells; RBM= Reticular basement membrane; BSM = Bronchial smooth muscle. Patients were divided according to the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation, n=20), Low-Ex (1 or 2 exacerbations, n=27) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations, n=33). Parameters associated with the number of exacerbations in the year following the fibreoptic bronchoscopy were determined using stepwise multinomial logistic regression model and results were expressed for reference group vs. compared group. For each parameter, the odd ratio (OR) was presented with the 95% confidence interval. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant (bold). For each model, only parameters with significant OR were presented. An OR<1 was in favour of the reference group and an OR >1 was in favour of the compared group.