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Heritability of cough across two generations : the RHINESSA study

Emilsson, Össur Ingi ; Johansson, Henrik ; Johannessen, Ane ; Janson, Christer ; Palm, Andreas ; Franklin, Karl A. ; Oudin, Anna LU orcid ; Real, Francisco Gómez ; Holm, Mathias and Gislason, Thorarinn , et al. (2024) In ERJ open research 10(4).
Abstract

Aim Heritability of cough has not yet been studied. We aimed to evaluate if individuals with cough are more likely to have offspring who develop cough, and if these associations differ by type of cough (productive/nonproductive). Methods The RHINESSA Generation Study (Respiratory Health In Northern Europe, Spain and Australia) includes 7155 parents (initially aged 30–54) answering detailed questionnaires in 2000 and 2010, and 8176 offspring ⩾20 years answering similar questionnaires in 2012–2019. Chronic cough was categorised as productive or nonproductive (dry) cough. Associations between parental and offspring cough were analysed using mixed-effects logistic regression, adjusting for offspring age, sex, body mass index, smoking... (More)

Aim Heritability of cough has not yet been studied. We aimed to evaluate if individuals with cough are more likely to have offspring who develop cough, and if these associations differ by type of cough (productive/nonproductive). Methods The RHINESSA Generation Study (Respiratory Health In Northern Europe, Spain and Australia) includes 7155 parents (initially aged 30–54) answering detailed questionnaires in 2000 and 2010, and 8176 offspring ⩾20 years answering similar questionnaires in 2012–2019. Chronic cough was categorised as productive or nonproductive (dry) cough. Associations between parental and offspring cough were analysed using mixed-effects logistic regression, adjusting for offspring age, sex, body mass index, smoking history, education level, current asthma, rhinitis, nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux; parent sex and smoking history; centre and family. Results Among parents with nonproductive cough, 11% of their offspring reported nonproductive cough, compared with 7% of offspring to parents without nonproductive cough, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.59 (95% confidence interval 1.20–2.10). Among parents with productive cough, 14% of their offspring reported productive cough, compared with 11% of offspring to parents without productive cough, aOR 1.34 (1.07–1.67). No associations were found between parent productive cough–offspring nonproductive cough, nor between parent nonproductive cough–offspring productive cough. Conclusions Parents with chronic cough are more likely to have offspring with chronic cough independent of parental asthma, suggesting cough to be a separate heritable trait. The type of cough is important, as the nonproductive cough in parent associates only with nonproductive cough in offspring, and the same applied for productive cough.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
ERJ open research
volume
10
issue
4
article number
00071-2024
publisher
European Respiratory Society
external identifiers
  • pmid:39104957
  • scopus:85201670969
ISSN
2312-0541
DOI
10.1183/23120541.00071-2024
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fb23c254-e4d5-4042-b3d1-8618d43bf272
date added to LUP
2024-11-01 09:36:42
date last changed
2025-05-17 07:13:18
@article{fb23c254-e4d5-4042-b3d1-8618d43bf272,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aim Heritability of cough has not yet been studied. We aimed to evaluate if individuals with cough are more likely to have offspring who develop cough, and if these associations differ by type of cough (productive/nonproductive). Methods The RHINESSA Generation Study (Respiratory Health In Northern Europe, Spain and Australia) includes 7155 parents (initially aged 30–54) answering detailed questionnaires in 2000 and 2010, and 8176 offspring ⩾20 years answering similar questionnaires in 2012–2019. Chronic cough was categorised as productive or nonproductive (dry) cough. Associations between parental and offspring cough were analysed using mixed-effects logistic regression, adjusting for offspring age, sex, body mass index, smoking history, education level, current asthma, rhinitis, nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux; parent sex and smoking history; centre and family. Results Among parents with nonproductive cough, 11% of their offspring reported nonproductive cough, compared with 7% of offspring to parents without nonproductive cough, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.59 (95% confidence interval 1.20–2.10). Among parents with productive cough, 14% of their offspring reported productive cough, compared with 11% of offspring to parents without productive cough, aOR 1.34 (1.07–1.67). No associations were found between parent productive cough–offspring nonproductive cough, nor between parent nonproductive cough–offspring productive cough. Conclusions Parents with chronic cough are more likely to have offspring with chronic cough independent of parental asthma, suggesting cough to be a separate heritable trait. The type of cough is important, as the nonproductive cough in parent associates only with nonproductive cough in offspring, and the same applied for productive cough.</p>}},
  author       = {{Emilsson, Össur Ingi and Johansson, Henrik and Johannessen, Ane and Janson, Christer and Palm, Andreas and Franklin, Karl A. and Oudin, Anna and Real, Francisco Gómez and Holm, Mathias and Gislason, Thorarinn and Lindberg, Eva and Jõgi, Rain and Schlünssen, Vivi and Callejas-González, Francisco Javier and Zhang, Jingwen and Malinovschi, Andrei and Svanes, Cecilie and Ekström, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{2312-0541}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  publisher    = {{European Respiratory Society}},
  series       = {{ERJ open research}},
  title        = {{Heritability of cough across two generations : the RHINESSA study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1183/23120541.00071-2024}},
  doi          = {{10.1183/23120541.00071-2024}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}