PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - A B Chang
AU  - V A Harrhy
AU  - J Simpson
AU  - I B Masters
AU  - P G Gibson
TI  - Cough, airway inflammation, and mild asthma exacerbation
AID  - 10.1136/adc.86.4.270
DP  - 2002 Apr 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood
PG  - 270--275
VI  - 86
IP  - 4
4099  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/86/4/270.short
4100  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/86/4/270.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child2002 Apr 01; 86
AB  - Background: Prospective data on the temporal relation between cough, asthma symptoms, and airway inflammation in childhood asthma is unavailable. Aims and methods: Using several clinical (diary, quality of life), lung function (FEV1, FEV1 variability, airway hyperresponsiveness), cough (diary, cough receptor sensitivity (CRS)), and inflammatory markers (sputum interleukin 8, eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP), myeloperoxidase; and serum ECP) of asthma severity, we prospectively described the course of these markers in children with asthma during a non-acute, acute, and resolution phase. A total of 21 children with asthma underwent these baseline tests; 11 were retested during days 1, 3, 7, and 28 of an exacerbation. Results: Asthma exacerbations were characterised by increased asthma and cough symptoms and eosinophilic inflammation. Sputum ECP showed the largest increase and peaked later than clinical scores. Asthma scores consistently related to cough score only early in the exacerbation. Neither CRS nor cough scores related to any inflammatory marker. Conclusion: In mild asthma exacerbations, eosinophilic inflammation is dominant. In asthmatic children who cough as a dominant symptom, cough heralds the onset of an exacerbation and increased eosinophilic inflammation, but cough scores and CRS do not reflect eosinophilic airway inflammation.