Could cough hypersensitivity symptom profile differentiate phenotypes of chronic cough?

Background: Recently, 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).
Methods: Patients with chronic cough from the Korean Chronic Cough Registry were prospectively evaluated over 6 months. Physicians determined the aetiological 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.
Results: The 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 cough versus 8.9±3.9 in RCC; p=0.215, adjusted for age, sex and LCQ score). There were no significant between-group differences in the LCQ and cough severity Visual Analog Scale scores. Both groups showed a similar negative correlation with LCQ scores (asthmatic cough: r=-0.427, p<0.001; RCC: r=-0.306, p<0.001).
Conclusions: The 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.
Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: S.S. Birring declares grants from Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and consulting fees from Merck, Shionogi, Bayer, Nerre, Genentech/Roche and Bellus. Conflict of interest: W-J. Song declares grants from Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and AstraZeneca; consulting fees from Merck, Bellus, AstraZeneca, Shionogi and GSK; and lecture fees from Merck, AstraZeneca, GSK, Sanofi and Novartis; and is deputy chief editor of this journal. Conflict of interest: The other authors declare that they have no competing interests.
(Copyright ©The authors 2024.)