Individuals with ABPA and frequent fungal infection have signs of worse clinical outcomes
We compared the clinical characteristics at baseline and during follow-up of individuals by ABPA and fungal status: ABPA/frequent (20, 7%), ABPA/rare (27, 9%), no ABPA/frequent (93, 32%), and no ABPA/ rare (154, 52%). Individuals ever diagnosed with ABPA were, on average, followed longer during the study period than those without ABPA regardless of fungal status [mean (SD) 5.7 yrs (2.3) versus 4.0 (2.7) yrs, respectively, p < 0.001]. Table 3 shows clinical characteristics for the four groups. Figure 1 shows comparisons in ppFEV1, diagnoses of CFRD, IgE measurements, and co-infection with P. aeruginosa and S. maltophilia between groups.
Individuals with frequent fungi and ABPA tended to have more chronic infection with P. aeruginosa compared to the other three groups (p = 0.07). While not statistically significant, those with frequent fungal infection and ABPA had the lowest average ppFEV1 of the four groups during the follow up period (Table 3) and highest annual rate of decline in ppFEV1 [ -2.3% versus ABPA/Rare -1.32%, No ABPA/Frequent -1.76% and No ABPA/Rare -1.68% per year (p values of interactions = 0.19, 0.5, 0.43), Figure 2]. Those with ABPA had higher IgE and serum eosinophils regardless of fungal status; IgE was highest in those with ABPA and frequent fungal infections.