Bronchoalveolar lavage cell profiles and proteins concentrations can be used to phenotype extrinsic allergic alveolitis patients

Table 1 Clinical features of progressor and nonprogressor subgroup of EAA patients (according to data gained 12 months after diagnosis)

	Progressors	Nonprogressors
Number of cases	14	34
Clinical features
Age (years)	64.6 ± 10.5	60.3 ± 10.9
Gender (M/F)	8/6	25/9
Smoking status (N/ES)	4/10	11/33
FVC (% e.v.)	79.1 ± 21.6	76.7 ± 22.8
DLco (% e.v.)	50.2 ± 21.8	51.8 ± 7.0
BALF Lym (%)	15.6 ± 14.7	36.6 ± 27.6
Treatment
Systemic corticosteroids	8	9
Supportive care only	6	0
Avoidance of inhalation antigen only	0	25

M Male, F female, N Nonsmoker, ES Ever smoked, FVC Forced vital capacity, DLco Diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide, e.v. expected value
Definition of progression: significant decline of lung function (10% drop of FVC and/or 15% drop of DLco) or acute exacerbation or death in a 12-month period