Can Cough Hypersensitivity Symptom Profiles Distinguish Chronic Cough Phenotypes?

A recent study has explored whether cough hypersensitivity symptoms can distinguish between different phenotypes of chronic cough. The research focused on asthmatic chronic cough and refractory chronic cough (RCC), assessing symptom triggers and throat sensations in patients with these conditions.

Key Findings:

Cough reflex hypersensitivity has been proposed as a common feature of chronic cough in adults, but its clinical characteristics across different chronic cough phenotypes remain unclear.
The study analyzed data from 280 patients over six months from the Korean Chronic Cough Registry.
- 79 patients had asthmatic cough (cough variant asthma or eosinophilic bronchitis).
- 201 patients had refractory chronic cough (RCC).
Symptom assessment was performed using the Cough Hypersensitivity Questionnaire (CHQ) and the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) to measure cough-specific quality of life.

Results:

CHQ scores were similar between the two groups:
- Asthmatic cough: 8.3±3.7
- RCC: 8.9±3.9
- No significant difference was observed (p=0.215).
There were no significant differences in LCQ and cough severity VAS scores between the groups.
Both groups showed a negative correlation between cough hypersensitivity and quality of life:
- Asthmatic cough: r = -0.427, p<0.001
- RCC: r = -0.306, p<0.001

Conclusion:

The study suggests that cough hypersensitivity symptoms may not distinguish between asthmatic chronic cough and RCC, pointing to a shared mechanism in cough pathogenesis across these phenotypes, despite potentially different treatable traits. Chronic cough appears to be the primary diagnosis for both conditions.

Cough Hypersensitivity Symptoms May Not Differentiate Between Asthmatic and Refractory Chronic Cough

To know more: https://doi.org/10.1183/23120541.00260-2024