title: [Characteristics of bronchial inflammation in children with chronic non-productive cough].
abstract: The aim of study was to correlate the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell subpopulations in light microscopy and clinical-functional parameters in 20 children with chronic nonproductive cough (potentially evolving to asthma) in comparison with 20 children with mild and moderate stable asthma. The results revealed a different BAL cell profile of chronic coughing children, characterized by a lower percent of total cells (0.279 +/- 0.055 x 10(6)/ml), eosinophils (0.97 +/- 0.80%), lymphocytes (6.02 +/- 0.85%) and epithelial cells (28.52 +/- 5.15%) and higher percent of macrophages (46.05 +/- 7.94%) and neutrophils (18.27 +/- 4.93%). Eosinophilic inflammation in BAL and bronchial hyper-responsiveness (PC20 methacholine = 1.73 +/- 0.15 mg/ml) were revealed in three cases with chronic cough. Based on these reasons, they were included in "cough variant asthma". In conclusion, children with nonproductive chronic cough represent a heterogenous group, with different underlying causes. Only a minority of these patients has "cough variant asthma", with a favorable response to inhaled corticotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Disciplina Imunologie-Fiziologie, U.M.F. Timişoara.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bunu
authors.forename: Dorin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vancea
authors.forename: Virgil
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Păunescu
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils