Clinical characteristics of protracted bacterial bronchitis in adults
Lianrong Huang,
Kefang Lai,
Chen Zhan,
Li Long,
Fang Yi,
Jianmeng Zhou,
Wenzhi Zhan,
Hankun Lu,
Ziyu Jiang,
Yuehan Chen,
Mei Jiang,
Ruchong Chen,
Jiaxing Xie,
Wei Luo
Affiliations
Lianrong Huang
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Kefang Lai
Corresponding author.; Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Chen Zhan
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Li Long
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Fang Yi
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Jianmeng Zhou
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Wenzhi Zhan
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Hankun Lu
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Ziyu Jiang
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Yuehan Chen
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Mei Jiang
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Ruchong Chen
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Jiaxing Xie
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
Wei Luo
Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd., Guangzhou, 510120, PR China
There are few data regarding adult protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB). This study aimed to delineate the clinical features of PBB and evaluate their potential diagnostic value in adults. We recruited 55 adult patients with PBB and selected randomly 220 patients with non-PBB as control. A diagnosis of PBB was considered if patients had a cough lasting ≥3 weeks, no abnormalities of chest computed tomography, positive bacterial culture in sputum and/or response well to oral moxifloxacin for 1–4 weeks. The clinical manifestations and laboratory investigations were compared between PBB patients and non-PBB patients. Of the 55 patients with PBB, approximately three-fifths (34, 61.8%) were females with a median age of 46.0 years, which were similar to that of patients with non-PBB. We observed a shorter cough duration in PBB than non-PBB (median 3.0 versus 24.0 months, p < 0.001). Compared to non-PBB patients, PBB patients had higher incidences of productive cough, yellow phlegm and a sensation of mucus in the throat (SMIT) (all p < 0.001). Sputum neutrophils and lymphocytes were markedly elevated in PBB patients than non-PBB patients (both p = 0.004). Bacterial pathogens were detected in eight (28.6%) of 28 cases with PBB. The multivariate analyses showed yellow phlegm, productive cough, SMIT, increased sputum lymphocytes (≥2.3%) and cough duration ≤8.5 months with moderate sensitivity (50.9–81.8%) and moderate-high specificity (60.5–94.4%) for determining PBB. In summary, adults with PBB are characterized by productive cough, yellow phlegm, SMIT and neutrophilic airway inflammation. These cough features and increased sputum lymphocytes may be useful to indicate PBB.
