Could cough hypersensitivity symptom profile differentiate phenotypes of chronic cough?

Abstract

The symptoms of cough hypersensitivity do not distinguish between asthmatic cough and refractory chronic cough. Cough reflex hypersensitivity may underlie chronic cough across different phenotypes, despite having different treatable traits,BackgroundRecently, cough reflex hypersensitivity has been proposed as a common underlying feature of chronic cough in adults. However, symptoms and clinical characteristics of cough hypersensitivity have not been studied amongst phenotypes of chronic cough. This study aimed to compare symptom features, such as cough triggers and associated throat sensations, of cough hypersensitivity in patients with asthmatic chronic cough and those with refractory chronic cough (RCC).MethodsPatients with chronic cough from the Korean Chronic Cough Registry were prospectively evaluated over 6 months. Physicians determined the etiological diagnosis based on clinical evaluations and responses to treatment at the 6-month follow-up visit. Symptoms of cough hypersensitivity and cough-specific quality of life were assessed using the Cough Hypersensitivity Questionnaire (CHQ) and the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), respectively.ResultsThe analysis included 280 patients who completed the follow-up: 79 with asthmatic cough (cough variant asthma or eosinophilic bronchitis) and 201 with RCC. Baseline CHQ scores were similar between the groups (8.3±3.7 in asthmatic coughversus8.9±3.9 in RCC; p=0.215, adjusted for age, sex and and LCQ score). There were no significant between-group differences in the LCQ and cough severity VAS scores. Both groups showed a similar negative correlation with LCQ scores (asthmatic cough: r=−0.427, p<0.001; RUCC: r=−0.306, p<0.001).ConclusionsThe symptoms of cough hypersensitivity may not distinguish between asthmatic cough and RCC. This suggests that chronic cough is the primary diagnosis in both phenotypes. It indicates a shared mechanism in their cough pathogenesis, despite having potentially different treatable traits.