Does Chronic Cough Lead to Injury and Remodelling of the Lower Airways?
The aim of the study is to assess if chronic cough leads to injury and remodelling of the airways. We plan to analyse bronchial injury and remodelling in patients with refractory chronic cough lasting longer than 12 month . Assessment of injury mediators will be performed in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Remodelling features will be analysed based on chest CT scan and pathologic specimens. Injury of epithelium will be assessed in bronchial biopsy specimens. The relationship between the duration, severity of chronic cough, and bronchial inflammation, damage, remodelling will be analysed.
• age between 18 and 75 years,
• chronic cough of at least one year duration, with no previous treatment (at least 2 previous unsuccessful attempts at pharmacological treatment of cough)
• negative history of smoking (at least 6 months of abstinence),
• negative history of treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI),
• normal chest radiograph or with changes not relevant to cough formation,
• no respiratory tract infections in the past 6 weeks,
• written consent from the patient to participate in the study.