Values of variables at baseline stratified by class in the Steroids in Pneumonia (STEP) cohort
| Variable | Class 1 (n=574) | Class 2 (n=153) | No. missing n (%) |
| Altered mental status¶ | 33 (5.7) | 13 (8.5) | 0 (0) |
| C-reactive protein (mg·L−1) | 155 (74–247) | 171 (93–268) | 7 (1) |
| Creatinine (µmol·L−1) | 86 (68–109) | 98 (72–132)# | 6 (0.8) |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 70 (60–78) | 66 (59–75) | 4 (0.6) |
| Duration of symptoms (days) | 4 (2–7) | 4 (2–7) | 17 (2.3) |
| Glucose (mmol·L−1) | 6.4 (5.5–7.7) | 6.0 (5.5–7.3) | 179 (24.6) |
| Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (pg·mL−1) | 7.0 (7.0–8.7) | 21.1 (9.3–59.3)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Heart rate (beats·min−1) | 83 (72–95) | 84 (71–101) | 4 (0.6) |
| Interferon-α (pg·mL−1) | 0.24 (0.24–0.33) | 0.56 (0.30–1.02)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interferon-β (pg·mL−1) | 22.7 (14.5–34.0) | 41.3 (22.0–74.1)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interferon-γ (pg·mL−1) | 2.8 (2.8–2.8) | 2.8 (2.8–4.6)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interleukin-1β (pg·mL−1) | 1.0 (1.0–1.0) | 1.0 (1.0–2.8)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (pg·mL−1) | 33.0 (33.0–551.5) | 1280.1 (33.0–6244.1)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interleukin-2 (pg·mL−1) | 4.4 (4.4–4.4) | 4.4 (4.4–4.4)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interleukin-4 (pg·mL−1) | 5.5 (5.5–5.5) | 5.5 (5.5–24.4)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interleukin-6 (pg·mL−1) | 40.6 (14.6–102.5) | 172.0 (59.7–748.4)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interleukin-8 (pg·mL−1) | 3.9 (1.9–9.7) | 19.8 (6.6–46.1)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interleukin-10 (pg·mL−1) | 0.9 (0.7–1.4) | 2.2 (1.3–4.8)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interleukin-12 (pg·mL−1) | 1.1 (1.1–1.4) | 2.2 (1.3–3.7)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interleukin-13 (pg·mL−1) | 1.3 (1.3–1.3) | 2.4 (1.3–8.8)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Interleukin-17 (pg·mL−1) | 0.57 (0.57–0.57) | 0.87 (0.57–1.86)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Legionella species¶ | 11 (1.9) | 3 (2.0) | 102 (14.0) |
| Leukocyte count (109 cells·L−1) | 11.9 (8.7–15.6) | 12.2 (9.2–15.8) | 4 (0.6) |
| Male¶ | 345 (60.1) | 107 (69.9)# | 0 (0) |
| Monocyte chemoattractant protein (pg·mL−1) | 39.8 (25.5–70.1) | 66.6 (37.2–242.9)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Neutrophil count (109 cells·L−1) | 9.8 (6.9–13.2) | 10.2 (7.4–13.3) | 64 (9.7) |
| Oxygen saturation (%) | 95 (92–96) | 94 (92–96) | 25 (3.4) |
| Oxygen therapy¶ | 298 (51.9) | 79 (51.6) | 6 (0.8) |
| Pleural effusion¶ | 65 (11.3) | 18 (11.8) | 0 (0) |
| Pneumonia severity index score | 88 (63–111) | 98 (74–131)# | 0 (0) |
| Procalcitonin (ng·mL−1) | 0.39 (0.16–1.68) | 1.14 (0.28–10.35)# | 133 (18.3) |
| Respiratory rate (breaths·min−1) | 20 (18–24) | 20 (17–24) | 136 (18.7) |
| Streptococcus pneumoniae¶ | 75 (13.1) | 31 (20.3)# | 104 (14.3) |
| Tumour necrosis factor-α (pg·mL−1) | 1.8 (1.8–1.9) | 2.7 (1.8–4.0)# | 55 (7.6) |
| Urea (mmol·L−1) | 6.6 (4.8–10.0) | 7.9 (5.4–13.4)# | 37 (5.1) |
Data are shown as median (interquartile range) or n (%). #: statistically significant difference between class 1 and class 2. ¶: non-class-defining variables (variable not included in latent class analysis). Missing data is n (%) for the whole cohort.