Thorax. Published Online First: 2 May 2006. doi:10.1136/thx.2005.050815
Papers |
Cough frequency in children with mild asthma correlates with sputum neutrophil count
1 Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: albertmli{at}cuhk.edu.hk.
Accepted 3 April 2006
Abstract
Objectives: To (1) measure cough frequency in children with stable asthma using a validated monitoring device, and (2) assess the correlation between cough frequency with the degree and type of airway inflammation.
Methods: Thirty-six children with a median age of 11.5 years (IQR: 9-14) with stable asthma were recruited. They underwent spirometric testing, exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) measurement, sputum induction for differential cell count, and ambulatory cough monitoring for 24 hours. Coughing episodes were counted both as individual spikes and as clusters.
Results: All children had mild intermittent asthma and their median forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and eNO were 83.3% (IQR 81.1-97.6) and 56.1 ppb (IQR 37.4-105) respectively. The median number of cough episodes per day was 25.5 (IQR 16-42.8). Sputum induction was successful in 69% of the subjects and cough frequency was found to have a significant positive correlation with sputum neutrophil count (r=0.833, p=0.0001).
Conclusions: Children with stable mild asthma have increased cough frequency that might be driven by a neutrophilic inflammatory pathway.
Keywords: asthma, children, cough, neutrophilic inflammation
Relevant Article
- Airwaves
- Wisia Wedzicha
Thorax 2006 61: 739.[Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Bogaert, P., Tournoy, K. G., Naessens, T., Grooten, J.
(2009). Where Asthma and Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Meet and Differ: Noneosinophilic Severe Asthma. Am. J. Pathol.
174: 3-13
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
McDougall, C M, Helms, P J
(2006). Neutrophil airway inflammation in childhood asthma. Thorax
61: 739-741
[Full Text]
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
