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Purpose Chronic cough (cough that persists for [greater than or equal to] 8 weeks) can cause a range of physical symptoms and psychosocial effects that significantly impair patients' quality of life. Refractory chronic cough (RCC) and unexplained chronic cough (UCC) are challenging to diagnose and manage, with substantial economic implications for healthcare systems. Methods This retrospective multicenter non-interventional study aimed to characterize the profile and health resource consumption of patients with RCC or UCC who attended outpatient clinics at Spanish hospitals. Data were collected from medical records of patients with RCC or UCC for up to 3 years before study inclusion. Results The patient cohort (n = 196) was representative of the chronic cough population (77.6% female, mean age 58.5 years). Two-thirds of patients (n = 126) had RCC. The most frequently visited doctors were pulmonologists (93.4% of patients) and primary care physicians (78.6%), with a mean of 5 visits per patient over three years' observation. The most common diagnostic tests were chest x-ray (83.7%) and spirometry with bronchodilation (77.0%). The most commonly prescribed treatments were proton pump inhibitors (79.6%) and respiratory medications (87.8%). Antibiotics were prescribed empirically to 56 (28.6%) patients. Differences between RCC or UCC groups related mainly to approaches used to manage cough-associated conditions (gastroesophageal reflux disease, asthma) in patients with RCC. Conclusion RCC and UCC are responsible for high health resource utilization in Spanish hospitals. Specific treatments targeting the pathological processes driving chronic cough may provide opportunities to reduce the associated burden for patients and healthcare systems., Author(s): Ignacio Dávila [sup.1], Luis Puente [sup.2], Santiago Quirce [sup.3], Ebymar Arismendi [sup.4], Miguel Díaz-Palacios [sup.5], Antonio Pereira-Vega [sup.6], Alfredo de Diego [sup.7], Juan Luis Rodriguez-Hermosa [sup.8], Luis Cea-Calvo [sup.9], [...]

Asthma is characterized by airway inflammation and remodeling. 2-Undecanone (methyl nonyl ketone), a volatile organic compound originating from Houttuynia cordata, has the potential to ameliorate inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to explore potential benefits of 2-undecanone in asthma. 2-Undecanone (100, 200, or 400 mg/kg) was administered intragastrically to ovalbumin (OVA)-challenged BALB/c mice. Lung tissues were collected to observe histopathological changes, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected for the detection of inflammatory cells and cytokine production. The results showed that 2-undecanone ameliorated OVA-induced pathologic changes of lungs, including reducing inflammatory cell infiltration, goblet cell hyperplasia, and airway smooth muscle thickness. The number of inflammatory cells and the levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IgE in BALF were decreased by 2-undecanone in asthmatic mice. Furthermore, abnormal activation of NF-[kappa]B pathway in lung tissues of asthmatic mice was impeded by 2-undecanone. In vitro, 2-undecanone (12.5, 25, or 50 [micro]M) suppressed platelet-derived growth factor-BB-induced proliferation and migration of primary airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), and inhibited the switching of ASMCs from contractile phenotype to synthetic phenotype. Consistently, 2-undecanone blocked NF-[kappa]B activation in ASMCs. Collectively, 2-undecanone relieves asthma through alleviating airway inflammation and remodeling, and this beneficial effect is achieved by inhibiting NF-[kappa]B pathway. Key words: asthma, 2-undecanone, NF-[kappa]B pathway, airway inflammation, airway remodeling, Introduction Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease characterized by reversible and intermittent airflow obstruction, airway hyperresponsiveness, airway remodeling, and chronic inflammation (Barcik et al. 2020; Schoettler and Strek 2020). [...]

Chronic cough is a debilitating condition affecting 10-12% of the general population and is one of the leading causes for referral to secondary care. Many conditions have been associated with chronic cough, including asthma, gastro-esophageal reflux disease and upper airways cough syndrome. Inflammatory airway conditions including cough variant asthma (CVA) and non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (NAEB) contribute to a significant proportion of presentations with chronic cough, with differing diagnostic criteria and different responses to commonly used asthma therapy for their respective diagnoses. Mechanistic studies in both animal models and humans have identified increased neuronal sensitivity and subsequent central sensitization. These mechanisms include inflammatory-mediated nociceptor sensitization and alterations of afferent nerve terminal excitability, phenotypic changes in the vagal afferent neurons over time, and central neuroplasticity resulting from increased synaptic signalling from peripheral afferents. The aim of this review is to discuss the mechanisms, neurophysiology, and management approaches currently available for patients presenting with chronic cough with underlying asthma, CVA, and NAEB and to shed a light on areas of further research required to elucidate the mechanisms of cough in this patient population., Author(s): Nermin Diab [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3], Matthew Patel [sup.1], Paul O'Byrne [sup.1] [sup.3], Imran Satia [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.25073.33, 0000 0004 1936 8227, Department of Medicine, McMaster [...]

Recent therapeutic advances in the management of asthma have underscored the importance of eosinophilia and the role of pro-eosinophilic mediators such as IL-5 in asthma. Given that a subset of patients with COPD may display peripheral eosinophilia similar to what is observed in asthma, a number of recent studies have implied that eosinophilic COPD is a distinct entity. This review will seek to contrast the mechanisms of eosinophilia in asthma and COPD, the implications of eosinophilia for disease outcome, and review current data regarding the utility of peripheral blood eosinophilia in the management of COPD patients., Author(s): Jonathan C. Weissler [sup.1], Traci N. Adams [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.267313.2, 0000 0000 9482 7121, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of [...]