Objective To investigate the causes of chronic cough in Chongqing City and assess the efficacy of specific therapy. Methods A total of 233 consecutively non-selected referred patients ( 136 females) whose cough duration more than eight weeks were studied. Their age[ median ( range) ] was 44. 5( 15-78) yrs and cough duration was 2. 6 ( 0. 2-30) yrs. They were diagnosed using a diagnostic protocol based on the Guideline on Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Cough established by China Medical Association and American College of Chest Physicians. The etiological diagnosis was made according to clinical manifestations, lab examinations, and response to specific therapy. The effects was assessed four weeks after the drug withdraw. Results The cause of chronic cough was confirmed in 216 patients ( 92. 7% ) . Seventeen patients( 7. 3% ) had not been definitely diagnosed. Cough due to a single cause was found in 163 patients ( 75. 45% ) , and due to multiple causes in 53 patients ( 24. 53% ) . The causes included upper airway cough syndrome ( UACS) in 127 patients( 44. 4% ) , cough variant asthma ( CVA) in 73 patients( 25. 5% ) , gastro-esophageal reflux cough ( GERC) in 26 patients( 9. 1%) , postinfectious cough and angiotensin converting enzyme ( ACE) inhibitor-induced cough in 6 patients( 2. 1% ) , atopic cough in 5 patients( 1. 7% ) , chronic bronchitis in 3 patients ( 1. 0% ) , respectively. After specific therapy based on diagnosis, cough cured in 59 patients ( 25. 3% ) , and alleviated in 114 patients ( 49. 3% ) , no response in 40 patients( 17. 1% ) . Conclusion The causes of chronic cough in different areas maybe variant. UACS, CVA and GREC are the main causes of chronic cough in Chongqing City. Specific therapy is effective in majority of patients with chronic cough.
Objective To reveal the differences in gene expression levels between Th2-driven classical asthma (CA) and Th2-driven cough variant asthma (CVA) in order to investigate the pathogenesis of asthma further. Methods Clinical data were collected from asthmatic patients in the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from June 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019. The healthy control (HC) group was healthy adults from the physical examination center. Gene expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the CA group, CVA group, and HC group was determined by full-length transcriptome sequencing. Differential genes were screened by GO, KEGG analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. The results of interaction network analysis were visualized by Cytoscape. Finally, the candidate genes were verified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). ResultsA total of 31 patients with asthma were included in the study, including 20 patients in the CA group and 11 patients in the CVA group. According to serum total IgE > 60 IU/mL and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) > 40 ppb as the screening condition, 9 cases of Th2-driven CA and 5 cases of Th2-driven CVA were screened for analysis. Gene expression analysis showed 300 differentially expressed genes between the Th2-driven CA group and the Th2-driven CVA group, among which 155 genes were up-regulated, and 145 were down-regulated. GO enrichment analysis showed that differential genes were mainly enriched in drug response, nitrogen compound biosynthesis, cytoplasmic matrix, protein binding, ATP binding, etc. KEGG pathway analysis showed that differential genes were mainly concentrated in 2-oxy-carboxylic acid metabolism and cytotoxic signaling pathways mediated by natural killer cells. PPI analysis revealed extensive protein interactions between different genes. Ten candidate genes were screened for RT-PCR verification and finally found that CLU, GZMB, PPBP, PRF1, PTGS1, and TMSB4X were significantly differentially expressed between the Th2-driven CA group and the Th2-driven CVA group. Conclusions Asthma's occurrence results from the interaction of many genes and pathways. CLU, GZMB, PPBP, PRF1, PTGS1, and TMSB4X genes may be essential in developing Th2-driven CVA to Th2-driven CA.
Objective To explore the effect of lower airway inflammation on the pathogenesis of upper airway cough syndrome( UACS) . Methods Ten cases of UACS and 10 cases of chronic rhinitis or sinusitis without cough were enrolled as group A and group B, respectively. And 10 healthy volunteers were included as controls( group C) . The cough threshold C2 and C5 to inhaled capsaicin, defined as the lowest concentration of capsaicin required to induce ≥2 and ≥5 coughs, was measured. The total and differential cell counts was determined in induced sputum, and the levels of histamine and prostaglandin E2 were analyzed in supernatant of sputum. Results Cough threshold was significantly lower in group A than group B [ C2: ( 0.65 ±0. 08) μmol / L vs ( 3.90 ±1. 37) μmol / L; C5: ( 1.59 ±0. 28) μmol / L vs ( 33.46 ±23. 71) μmol / L, P lt;0. 05] and comparable between group B and group C( P gt; 0. 05) . Group A, similar to group B( P gt; 0. 05 ) , contained more inflammatory cells, with decreased percentage of macrophages and increased percentage of neutrophils in induced sputum than group C( P lt; 0. 05) . Furthermore, the levels of histamine[ ( 9. 55 ±1. 89) ng/mL vs ( 2. 37 ±0. 25) ng/mL, P lt; 0. 05] and prostaglandin E2 [ ( 361. 71 ±39. 38) pg/mL vs ( 144. 34 ±15. 69) pg/mL, P lt; 0. 05] were higher in supernatant of induced sputum from group A than group B, while the latter was not different from group C( P gt; 0. 05) . Conclusion Increased cough sensitivity caused by airway inflammation may be important for the pathogenesis of UACS, and the activation of mast cells in mucosa of lower airway might be an important factor.
ObjectiveTo systematically review the efficacy and safety of Yangyinqingfei decoction for chronic cough and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.MethodsWe electronically searched databases including PubMed, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI, VIP and WanFang Data for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Yangyinqingfei decoction for chronic cough and COPD patients from inception to August 2016. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Then, RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.ResultsTwenty-four RCTs involving 2 268 patients with COPD and chronic cough were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, Yangyinqingfei decoction combined with the conventional medicine could significantly improve clinical effective rate (RR=1.21, 95%CI 1.16 to 1.27, P<0.000 01) and lung function (SMD=0.76, 95%CI 0.59 to 0.94, P<0.000 01) in patients with COPD. Yangyinqingfei decoction combined with the conventional medicine group was superior to the control group (RR=1.41, 95%CI 1.22 to 1.64, P<0.000 01) in clinical efficacy for adults patients with chronic cough. In terms of safety, seven cases occurred adverse reactions in the Yangyinqingfei decoction group, while 13 were found in the control group, the types and degree of adverse reactions in both groups were almost the same.ConclusionThe combination of Yangyinqingfei plus conventional medicine may significantly improve the clinical efficacy for chronic cough and COPD with reliable safety. However, due to the limited quality and quantity of included studies, the above conclusions are needed to verify by more high quality studies.
Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of upper airway cough syndrome ( UACS) and the relationship of UACS with upper airway diseases, cough variant asthma ( CVA) , and gastroesophageal reflux disease ( GERD) . Methods 92 subjects with chronic cough and throat symptoms and signs were included in the study. The medical records were collected fromall subjects, and 49 subjects suspected for CVA undertook bronchial provocation test. Then the efficacy was evaluated and etiology were analyzed based on the efficacy of targeted treatment. Results Bronchial provocation test yielded positive results in 14 subjects suspected of CVA, accounting for 15. 2% of all cases ( 14/92) . 18. 5% ( 17 /92) of patients had a history of chronic gastritis or combined symptoms of GERD, of whom anti-gastroesophagealreflux treatment was effective. The patients with rhinitis, sinusitis history and/ or symptoms accounted for 33. 7% of cases ( 31 cases) . 51. 1% ( 47/92) of patients had only signs and symptoms of chronic pharyngitis. Conclusions UACS is not only due to the rhinitis and/ or sinusitis but also chronic pharyngitis. Chronic pharyngitis may be secondary to chronic rhinitis/ sinusitis with post nasal drip and gastroesophageal reflux, also may be an independent cause of chronic cough.
Detection of the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a safe, simple and easy method to assess airway inflammation noninvasively. Thus, FeNO detection has been paid more attention to diagnosis and guide treatment of pulmonary diseases. The common feature of pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic cough is the existence of varying degrees of airway inflammation. In this review, FeNO production and its potential pathologic and physiologic role in various pulmonary diseases were discussed.
Objective To analyze the risk factors for chronic cough following pulmonary surgery in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 427 NSCLC patients who underwent pulmonary surgery in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China, between January 2021 and June 2023. Patients were categorized into a chronic cough group (103 patients) and a non-chronic cough group (324 patients) based on the presence of cough at 8 weeks post-surgery. A comparative analysis was performed between the two groups, considering gender, age, smoking history, comorbidities, preoperative pulmonary function indicators, pleural adhesion, anesthesia duration, surgical site, operative techniques, lymph node dissection methods, tumor maximum diameter, and postoperative chest tube duration. Factors showing statistical significance in univariate analysis underwent multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Among the 427 patients undergoing pulmonary surgery, there were 165 males and 262 females, with an average age of (59.93±12.11) years. The incidence of chronic cough was 24.12%. Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in smoking history, preoperative pulmonary function indicators, pleural adhesion, anesthesia duration ≥135.5 minutes, surgical site, operative techniques, lymph node dissection methods, tumor maximum diameter, and postoperative chest tube duration (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the surgical site (right upper lung), operative techniques (lobectomy), lymph node dissection, and anesthesia time ≥135.5 minutes were independent risk factors for chronic cough following pulmonary surgery. ConclusionPatients undergoing right upper lung surgery, lobectomy, lymph node dissection, and experiencing anesthesia duration ≥135.5 minutes are at a higher risk of developing chronic cough post-pulmonary surgery.
Automatic classification of different types of cough plays an important role in clinical. In the previous research of cough classification or cough recognition, traditional Mel frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFCC) which extracts feature mainly from low frequency band is usually used as feature expression. In this paper, by analyzing the distributions of spectral energy of dry/wet cough, it is found that spectral difference of two types of cough exits mainly in middle frequency band and high frequency band. To better reflect the spectral difference of dry cough and wet cough, an improved method of extracting reverse MFCC is proposed. In this method, reverse Mel filter-bank in which filters are allocated in reverse Mel scale is adopted and is improved by placing filters only in the frequency band with high spectral energy. As a result, features are mainly extracted from the frequency band where two types of cough show both high spectral energy and distinguished difference. Detailed process of accessing improved reverse MFCC was introduced and hidden Markov models trained by 60 dry cough and 60 wet cough were used as cough classification model. Classification experiment results for 120 dry cough and 85 wet cough showed that, compared to traditional MFCC, better classification performance was achieved by the proposed method and the total classification accuracy was raised from 89.76% to 93.66%.
Objective To investigate the etiological diagnosis of chronic cough with pharyngitis-like manifestations. Methods Patients with chronic cough and pharyngitis-like manifestations were recruited from Outpatient Department of Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases between December 2002 to March 2010. The causes of chronic cough were investigated using a well-established diagnostic protocol, including history taking and physical examination, pulmonary function tests, induced sputum cytology, 24-h esophageal pH monitoring, etc. The final diagnosis depended on clinical manifestations, examination findings, and a successful response to therapy. Results 326 patients with chronic cough and pharyngitislike manifestations were included in the study with amedian duration of 24 ( 2 ～480) months, amean age of 41 ±13 years. The causes of chronic cough were identified as follows: post nasal drip syndrome or upper airway cough syndrome in 73 cases ( 23. 31% ) , cough variant asthma in 61 cases( 18. 71% ) , eosinophilic bronchitis in 70 cases( 22. 47% ) , gastroesophageal reflux-induced cough in 54 cases ( 16. 56% ) , atopiccough in 48 cases ( 14. 72% ) , and others in 40 cases ( 12. 27% ) . There is no significant difference in percentage of common causes of chronic cough ( P gt; 0. 05) . Conclusion The proportions of upper airway syndrome and other common causes are similar in chronic cough with pharyngitis-like manifestatioins, whichsuggest pharyngitis-like manifestations are not specific for diagnosis of upper airway cough syndrome.
Objective To systematically assess the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) in treating upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) or postnasal drip syndrome (PNDS). Methods Such databases as MEDLINE (1950 to 2011), PubMed (1996 to 2011), VIP (1989 to 2011), WanFang Data (1998 to 2011), CNKI (1979 to 2011) and CBM (1978 to 2011) were searched for collecting the randomized controlled trials (RCT) or quasi-RCTs about TCM treating UACS/PNDS. The trials were screened according to the inclusive and exclusive criteria, and then after the quality assessment and data extraction were conducted, the statistical analysis was conducted by using RevMan 5.0 software. Results A total of 10 RCTs and quasi-RCTs in Chinese were identified. The results of analysis showed that: a) The integrated Chinese and western medicine was superior to western medicine alone, either for adults and children with UACS, or for adults with PNDS. However the effectiveness had to be further assessed due to lack of high-quality literatures; b) TCM alone was probably more effective than western medicine alone for adults with PNDS, but not for adults and children with UACS. No obvious adverse reaction related to TCM was reported. Conclusion The recent research outcomes show that the integrated Chinese and western medicine is superior to western medicine alone, either for adults and children with UACS, or for adults with PNDS, but no definite evidence is found to support the superiority of TCM in treating UACS/PNDS. More high-quality RCTs with large scale need to be conducted in future to verify this conclusion due to the overall low methodological quality and significantly different intervention of the included trials.
