Table 1 Clinical characteristics according to the number of positive STMs in NCFB patients

Demographics

Age, y

62 (55,69)

62 (54,68)

59 (47,65)

0.015^a

Sex, F, n (%)

78 (56.9)

105 (73.9)

70 (71.4)

0.006^c

BMI, kg/cm²

20.0 (18.1,23.6)

22.8 (20.2,25.5)

22.5 (19.8,24.5)

<0.001^a,c

Smoke status, n (%)

0.466

 Never

108 (78.8)

122 (85.9)

79 (80.6)

 Past

19 (13.9)

11 (7.7)

10 (10.2)

 Current

10 (7.3)

9 (6.3)

9 (9.2)

Etiology, n (%)

0.225

 Idiopathic

67 (48.9)

88 (62.0)

59 (60.2)

 Post-infective

24 (17.5)

23 (16.2)

15 (15.3)

 Post-tuberculosis

30 (21.9)

16 (11.3)

13 (13.3)

 Others

16 (11.7)

15 (10.6)

11 (11.2)

Comorbidities, n (%)

 Cerebrovascular disease

6 (4.4)

7 (4.9)

1 (1.0)

0.254

 Coronary heart disease

9 (6.6)

9 (6.3)

5 (5.1)

0.888

 Hypertension

29 (21.2)

40 (28.2)

21 (21.4)

0.315

 Diabetes

15 (10.9)

10 (7.0)

8 (8.2)

0.500

 COPD

8 (5.8)

2 (1.4)

1 (1.0)

0.039^a

 Asthma

9 (6.6)

9 (6.3)

10 (10.2)

0.475

Clinical symptoms, n (%)

 Cough

137 (100)

140 (98.6)

95 (96.9)

0.129

 Sputum

131 (95.6)

129 (90.8)

86 (87.8)

0.085

 Fever

55 (40.1)

38 (26.8)

20 (20.4)

0.027^{a, c}

 mMRC

<0.001^{a, c}

 ≤ 2

59 (43.1)

88 (62.0)

65 (66.3)

 > 2

78 (56.9)

54 (38.0)

33 (33.7)

 Hemoptysis

36 (26.3)

50 (35.2)

40 (40.8)

0.057

Disease duration, y

2 (1,15)

2 (0,15)

1 (0,10)

0.057

Laboratory

 WBC (× 10⁹ mL − 1)

6.80 (5.62,9.07)

6.22 (4.98,7.35)

6.19 (5.12,7.56)

0.003^c

 NEU (×10⁹ mL − 1)

4.30 (3.24,6.48)

3.68 (2.66,4.67)

3.79 (2.88,4.85)

<0.001^a,c

 CRP, mg/ L

13.8 (5.3,6.6)

5.4 (2.9,13.8)

5.1 (2.5,11.6)

<0.001^a,c

 PCT ≥ 0.5, ng/L

8 (5.8)

1 (0.7)

3 (3.1)

0.278

 ESR, mm/h

26 (11,48)

12 (5,26)

12 (5,20)

<0.001^a,c

 Fbg, g/L

3.87 (3.20,4.83)

3.16 (2.71,3.75)

2.93 (2.56,3.59)

<0.001^a,c

 D-Dimer, ng/mL

530 (310,1263)

370 (240,586)

340 (225,663)

0.001^a,c

 ALB, g/L

37.6 (34.4,39.5)

39.3 (37.0,41.2)

38.6 (37.0,41.1)

<0.001^a,c

 PAB, mg/dl

15 (10,21)

19 (15,24)

19 (14,24)

<0.001^a,c

 GLB, g/L

29.5 (26.8,34.9)

28.3 (25.8,31.3)

27.9 (25.5,30.9)

0.004^a,c

 A/G

1.3 (1.0,1.5)

1.4 (1.2,1.5)

1.4 (1.3,1.6)

<0.001^a,c

Arterial blood gas analysis

 pH

7.43(7.41,7.45)

7.42(7.40,7.45)

7.42(7.41,7.44)

0.550

 PaO2/FiO2 Ratio

352(311,399)

367(325,419)

364(329,430)

0.134

 PaCO2, mmHg

43(40,47)

42(39,47)

42(39,45)

0.434

Microbiology

Organism identified

53 (38.7)

38 (26.8)

24 (24.5)

< 0.031^{a, c}

 P. aeruginosa

31 (22.6)

25 (17.6)

13 (13.3)

0.181

 Others

22 (16.1)

13 (9.2)

11 (11.2)

0.200

Radiological

The number of affected lobes

4 (4,5)

4 (3,5)

3 (1,4)

0.001^{a, b,}

Unilateral/Bilateral

19/118

27/115

35/63

0.001^{a, b}

Involvement of lobes

 Left upper lobe

75 (54.7)

66 (46.5)

37 (37.8)

0.036^a

 Lingula

108 (78.8)

102 (71.8)

54 (55.1)

<0.001^{a, b}

 Left lower lobe

93 (67.9)

97 (68.3)

54 (55.1)

0.068

 Right upper lobe

87 (63.5)

85 (59.9)

50 (51.0)

0.152

 Right middle lobe

101 (73.7)

103 (72.5)

53 (54.1)

0.002^{a, b}

 Right lower lobe

106 (77.4)

96 (67.6)

54 (55.1)

0.001^{a, b}

Length of hospital, d

11 (9,14)

11 (8,13)

11 (8,13)

0.348