BAL characteristics
| Term | Preterm | Control | |
|---|---|---|---|
| *p<0.05 compared with term and control infants. | |||
| †p<0.05 between all three groups. | |||
| Number of samples | 47 | 73 | 10 |
| Mean (SD) BAL recovery volume as a percentage of volume instilled | 41.9 (22.9) | 54.2 (20.5)* | 47.0 (22.3) |
| Mean (SD) cell viability, % live cells | 77.8 (17.2) | 80.0 (17.0) | 68.8 (18.7) |
| Median (IQR) percentage neutrophils | 85.3 (12.7)† | 78.0 (16.0) | 52.3 (27.7) |
| Median (IQR) percentage alveolar macrophages | 8.0 (6.3) † | 12.0 (17.0) | 32.7 (23.3) |
| Median (IQR) percentage lymphocytes | 6.0 (4.3) † | 8.0 (7.0) | 11.0 (13.0) |