American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2021
Comparative StudyAirway Sensory Nerve Density is Increased in Chronic Cough.
Rationale: Chronic cough is characterized by frequent urges to cough and a heightened sensitivity to inhaled irritants. Airway sensory nerves trigger cough. We hypothesized that sensory nerve density is increased in chronic cough, which may contribute to excessive and persistent coughing. ⋯ Substance P expression was scarce and was similar in chronic cough and healthy airways. Nerve length and branching were not associated with eosinophil peroxidase nor with demographics such as age and sex in either group. Conclusions: Airway epithelial sensory nerve density is increased in chronic cough, suggesting sensory neuroplasticity contributes to cough hypersensitivity.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2021
Occurrence of Invasive Pulmonary Fungal Infections in Severe COVID-19 Patients Admitted to the ICU.
Rationale: Whether severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a significant risk factor for the development of invasive fungal superinfections is of great medical interest and remains, for now, an open question. Objectives: We aim to assess the occurrence of invasive fungal respiratory superinfections in patients with severe COVID-19. Methods: We conducted the study on patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related pneumonia admitted to five ICUs in France who had respiratory and serum sampling performed for specific screening of fungal complications. ⋯ Multivariate analysis indicates a significantly higher risk for solid organ transplant recipients (odds ratio, = 4.66; interquartile range, 1.98-7.34; P = 0.004). False-positive fungal test and clinically irrelevant colonization, which did not require the initiation of antifungal treatment, was observed in 25 patients (17.2%). Conclusions: In patients with no underlying immunosuppression, severe SARS-CoV-2-related pneumonia seems at low risk of invasive fungal secondary infection, especially aspergillosis.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2021
Editorial CommentInvasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis Goes Viral Again?