RESEARCH - Idiopathic chronic cough and organ-specific autoimmune diseases: a case-control study

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Respiratory Medicine

Volume 98, Issue 3 , March 2004, Pages 242-246

Idiopathic chronic cough and organ-specific autoimmune diseases: a

case-control study*1

Surinder S. Birring, , a, C b, Jane E. Sculliona, E.

Brightlinga, Browningc and Ian D. Pavorda

a Department of Respiratory Medicine, Institute for Lung Health, University

Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Glenfield Hospital, Groby Road, Leicester

LE3 9QP, UK

b Department of Pharmacy, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust,

Glenfield Hospital, Groby Road, Leicester LE3 9QP, UK

c Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Leicester School

of Medicine, Maurice Shock Building, P.O. Box 138, University Road,

Leicester LE1 9HN, UK

Received 13 February 2003; accepted 1 October 2003. ; Available online 18

November 2003.

Abstract

The marked female predominance in cases of idiopathic chronic cough and its

association with mild chronic lymphocytic airway inflammation suggests an

underlying autoimmune process. We set out to test the hypothesis that

idiopathic chronic cough is associated with other organ-specific autoimmune

diseases in a case-control study. Twenty-two patients with idiopathic

chronic cough and 65 community-matched controls for age and sex who

responded to a self-administered questionnaire were asked about the presence

of autoimmune disease, other medical problems and drug history. All subjects

were invited to have a blood test for an autoimmune screen. Thirteen out of

22 (59%) patients with idiopathic chronic cough and eight out of 65 (12%)

age- and sex-matched controls reported organ-specific autoimmune disease

(odds ratio 8.8; 95% confidence interval 2.4-31.8, P<0.001). Organ-specific

autoantibodies were present in a significantly higher proportion of cases

than controls (40% vs. 13%; P=0.047). These findings suggest a relationship

between idiopathic chronic cough and organ-specific autoimmunity.

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