Long-term low-dose erythromycin in patients with unexplained chronic cough: a double-blind placebo controlled trial.
AIMS: Unexplained chronic cough is a common condition with no satisfactory treatments. Previous work has suggested that cough may be linked to neutrophilic airway inflammation. This study tested the hypothesis that long-term low-dose erythromycin reduces the induced sputum neutrophil count and 24 h...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2010
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| _version_ | 1826268467294109696 |
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| author | Yousaf, N Monteiro, W Parker, D Matos, S Birring, S Pavord, I |
| author_facet | Yousaf, N Monteiro, W Parker, D Matos, S Birring, S Pavord, I |
| author_sort | Yousaf, N |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | AIMS: Unexplained chronic cough is a common condition with no satisfactory treatments. Previous work has suggested that cough may be linked to neutrophilic airway inflammation. This study tested the hypothesis that long-term low-dose erythromycin reduces the induced sputum neutrophil count and 24 h cough frequency in patients with unexplained chronic cough. METHODS: 30 patients with an unexplained chronic cough lasting more than 8 weeks were randomly assigned to take 250 mg erythromycin once daily (n=15) or placebo (n=15) for 12 weeks in a double-blind parallel group study. Cough frequency, cough reflex sensitivity and cough severity were assessed at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 weeks. The primary outcome measure was change in 24 h cough frequency at 12 weeks. RESULTS: There was no difference in the change in cough frequency between the erythromycin and placebo groups at 12 weeks (mean difference in fold change 1.1; 95% CI 0.7 to 1.5; p=0.585) or at other times. There was a statistically significant between-treatment difference in the change in sputum neutrophils at 12 weeks (−10.2% vs +6.6% with erythromycin and placebo; mean difference 16.8%; 95% CI 1.6 to 32.1; p=0.03) but not at other times. There was no difference in the change in other measures of cough between treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with low-dose erythromycin for 12 weeks reduces the induced sputum neutrophil count but not cough frequency or severity in patients with unexplained chronic cough. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:10:07Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:3ddaa51a-f82e-43e7-804c-d042641f348c |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:10:07Z |
| publishDate | 2010 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:3ddaa51a-f82e-43e7-804c-d042641f348c2022-03-26T14:21:56ZLong-term low-dose erythromycin in patients with unexplained chronic cough: a double-blind placebo controlled trial.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:3ddaa51a-f82e-43e7-804c-d042641f348cEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2010Yousaf, NMonteiro, WParker, DMatos, SBirring, SPavord, I AIMS: Unexplained chronic cough is a common condition with no satisfactory treatments. Previous work has suggested that cough may be linked to neutrophilic airway inflammation. This study tested the hypothesis that long-term low-dose erythromycin reduces the induced sputum neutrophil count and 24 h cough frequency in patients with unexplained chronic cough. METHODS: 30 patients with an unexplained chronic cough lasting more than 8 weeks were randomly assigned to take 250 mg erythromycin once daily (n=15) or placebo (n=15) for 12 weeks in a double-blind parallel group study. Cough frequency, cough reflex sensitivity and cough severity were assessed at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 weeks. The primary outcome measure was change in 24 h cough frequency at 12 weeks. RESULTS: There was no difference in the change in cough frequency between the erythromycin and placebo groups at 12 weeks (mean difference in fold change 1.1; 95% CI 0.7 to 1.5; p=0.585) or at other times. There was a statistically significant between-treatment difference in the change in sputum neutrophils at 12 weeks (−10.2% vs +6.6% with erythromycin and placebo; mean difference 16.8%; 95% CI 1.6 to 32.1; p=0.03) but not at other times. There was no difference in the change in other measures of cough between treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with low-dose erythromycin for 12 weeks reduces the induced sputum neutrophil count but not cough frequency or severity in patients with unexplained chronic cough. |
| spellingShingle | Yousaf, N Monteiro, W Parker, D Matos, S Birring, S Pavord, I Long-term low-dose erythromycin in patients with unexplained chronic cough: a double-blind placebo controlled trial. |
| title | Long-term low-dose erythromycin in patients with unexplained chronic cough: a double-blind placebo controlled trial. |
| title_full | Long-term low-dose erythromycin in patients with unexplained chronic cough: a double-blind placebo controlled trial. |
| title_fullStr | Long-term low-dose erythromycin in patients with unexplained chronic cough: a double-blind placebo controlled trial. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-term low-dose erythromycin in patients with unexplained chronic cough: a double-blind placebo controlled trial. |
| title_short | Long-term low-dose erythromycin in patients with unexplained chronic cough: a double-blind placebo controlled trial. |
| title_sort | long term low dose erythromycin in patients with unexplained chronic cough a double blind placebo controlled trial |
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