1
|
Sharma M, Nduba V, Njagi LN, Murithi W, Mwongera Z, Hawn TR, Patel SN, Horne DJ. TBscreen: A passive cough classifier for tuberculosis screening with a controlled dataset. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadi0282. [PMID: 38170773 PMCID: PMC10776005 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi0282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Recent respiratory disease screening studies suggest promising performance of cough classifiers, but potential biases in model training and dataset quality preclude robust conclusions. To examine tuberculosis (TB) cough diagnostic features, we enrolled subjects with pulmonary TB (N = 149) and controls with other respiratory illnesses (N = 46) in Nairobi. We collected a dataset with 33,000 passive coughs and 1600 forced coughs in a controlled setting with similar demographics. We trained a ResNet18-based cough classifier using images of passive cough scalogram as input and obtained a fivefold cross-validation sensitivity of 0.70 (±0.11 SD). The smartphone-based model had better performance in subjects with higher bacterial load {receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve (ROC-AUC): 0.87 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.87 to 0.88], P < 0.001} or lung cavities [ROC-AUC: 0.89 (95% CI: 0.88 to 0.89), P < 0.001]. Overall, our data suggest that passive cough features distinguish TB from non-TB subjects and are associated with bacterial burden and disease severity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuja Sharma
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, 185 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Videlis Nduba
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Mbagathi Rd, Nairobi 610101, Kenya
| | - Lilian N. Njagi
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Mbagathi Rd, Nairobi 610101, Kenya
| | - Wilfred Murithi
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Mbagathi Rd, Nairobi 610101, Kenya
| | - Zipporah Mwongera
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Mbagathi Rd, Nairobi 610101, Kenya
| | - Thomas R. Hawn
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Shwetak N. Patel
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, 185 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, 185 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - David J. Horne
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Naqvi KF, Mazzone SB, Shiloh MU. Infectious and Inflammatory Pathways to Cough. Annu Rev Physiol 2023; 85:71-91. [PMID: 36170660 PMCID: PMC9918720 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-031422-092315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Coughing is a dynamic physiological process resulting from input of vagal sensory neurons innervating the airways and perceived airway irritation. Although cough serves to protect and clear the airways, it can also be exploited by respiratory pathogens to facilitate disease transmission. Microbial components or infection-induced inflammatory mediators can directly interact with sensory nerve receptors to induce a cough response. Analysis of cough-generated aerosols and transmission studies have further demonstrated how infectious disease is spread through coughing. This review summarizes the neurophysiology of cough, cough induction by respiratory pathogens and inflammation, and cough-mediated disease transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kubra F Naqvi
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA;
| | - Stuart B Mazzone
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael U Shiloh
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA;
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhang M, Sykes DL, Brindle K, Sadofsky LR, Morice AH. Chronic cough-the limitation and advances in assessment techniques. J Thorac Dis 2022; 14:5097-5119. [PMID: 36647459 PMCID: PMC9840016 DOI: 10.21037/jtd-22-874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Accurate and consistent assessments of cough are essential to advance the understanding of the mechanisms of cough and individualised the management of patients. Considerable progress has been made in this work. Here we reviewed the currently available tools for subjectively and objectively measuring both cough sensitivity and severity. We also provided some opinions on the new techniques and future directions. The simple and practical Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), and the Cough Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (CQLQ) are the most widely used self-reported questionnaires for evaluating and quantifying cough severity. The Hull Airway Reflux Questionnaire (HARQ) is a tool to elucidate the constellation of symptoms underlying the diagnosis of chronic cough. Chemical excitation tests are widely used to explore the pathophysiological mechanisms of the cough reflex, such as capsaicin, citric acid and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) challenge test. Cough frequency is an ideal primary endpoint for clinical research, but the application of cough counters has been limited in clinical practice by the high cost and reliance on aural validation. The ongoing development of cough detection technology for smartphone apps and wearable devices will hopefully simplify cough counting, thus transitioning it from niche research to a widely available clinical application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengru Zhang
- Centre for Clinical Science, Respiratory Medicine, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK;,Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dominic L. Sykes
- Centre for Clinical Science, Respiratory Medicine, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK
| | - Kayleigh Brindle
- Centre for Clinical Science, Respiratory Medicine, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK
| | - Laura R. Sadofsky
- Centre for Clinical Science, Respiratory Medicine, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK
| | - Alyn H. Morice
- Centre for Clinical Science, Respiratory Medicine, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abstract
Cough assessment is central to the clinical management of respiratory diseases, including tuberculosis (TB), but strategies to objectively and unobtrusively measure cough are lacking. Acoustic epidemiology is an emerging field that uses technology to detect cough sounds and analyze cough patterns to improve health outcomes among people with respiratory conditions linked to cough. This field is increasingly exploring the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for more advanced applications, such as analyzing cough sounds as a biomarker for disease screening. While much of the data are preliminary, objective cough assessment could potentially transform disease control programs, including TB, and support individual patient management. Here, we present an overview of recent advances in this field and describe how cough assessment, if validated, could support public health programs at various stages of the TB care cascade. Zimmer et al. discuss the importance of cough assessment in clinical management of tuberculosis (TB). They describe how acoustic epidemiology, which uses recording devices and artificial intelligence to detect, record and analyze cough, can be used in TB control and individual patient management.
Collapse
|
5
|
Nathavitharana RR, Garcia-Basteiro AL, Ruhwald M, Cobelens F, Theron G. Reimagining the status quo: How close are we to rapid sputum-free tuberculosis diagnostics for all? EBioMedicine 2022; 78:103939. [PMID: 35339423 PMCID: PMC9043971 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid, accurate, sputum-free tests for tuberculosis (TB) triage and confirmation are urgently needed to close the widening diagnostic gap. We summarise key technologies and review programmatic, systems, and resource issues that could affect the impact of diagnostics. Mid-to-early-stage technologies like artificial intelligence-based automated digital chest X-radiography and capillary blood point-of-care assays are particularly promising. Pitfalls in the diagnostic pipeline, included a lack of community-based tools. We outline how these technologies may complement one another within the context of the TB care cascade, help overturn current paradigms (eg, reducing syndromic triage reliance, permitting subclinical TB to be diagnosed), and expand options for extra-pulmonary TB. We review challenges such as the difficulty of detecting paucibacillary TB and the limitations of current reference standards, and discuss how researchers and developers can better design and evaluate assays to optimise programmatic uptake. Finally, we outline how leveraging the urgency and innovation applied to COVID-19 is critical to improving TB patients' diagnostic quality-of-care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruvandhi R. Nathavitharana
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center & Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Alberto L. Garcia-Basteiro
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain,Centro de Investigação em Saude de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Morten Ruhwald
- FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Frank Cobelens
- Department of Global Health and Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Grant Theron
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa,Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Biomarkers that correlate with active pulmonary tuberculosis treatment response: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Microbiol 2021; 60:e0185921. [PMID: 34911364 PMCID: PMC8849205 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01859-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Current WHO recommendations for monitoring treatment response in adult pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) are sputum smear microscopy and/or culture conversion at the end of the intensive phase of treatment. These methods either have suboptimal accuracy or a long turnaround time. There is a need to identify alternative biomarkers to monitor TB treatment response. We conducted a systematic review of active pulmonary TB treatment monitoring biomarkers. We screened 9,739 articles published between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2020, of which 77 met the inclusion criteria. When studies quantitatively reported biomarker levels, we meta-analyzed the average fold change in biomarkers from pretreatment to week 8 of treatment. We also performed a meta-analysis pooling the fold change since the previous time point collected. A total of 81 biomarkers were identified from 77 studies. Overall, these studies exhibited extensive heterogeneity with regard to TB treatment monitoring study design and data reporting. Among the biomarkers identified, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) had sufficient data to analyze fold changes. All four biomarker levels decreased during the first 8 weeks of treatment relative to baseline and relative to previous time points collected. Based on limited data available, CRP, IL-6, IP-10, and TNF-α have been identified as biomarkers that should be further explored in the context of TB treatment monitoring. The extensive heterogeneity in TB treatment monitoring study design and reporting is a major barrier to evaluating the performance of novel biomarkers and tools for this use case. Guidance for designing and reporting treatment monitoring studies is urgently needed.
Collapse
|
7
|
Kang HS, Lee EG, Kim CK, Jung A, Song C, Im S. Cough Sounds Recorded via Smart Devices as Useful Non-Invasive Digital Biomarkers of Aspiration Risk: A Case Report. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21238056. [PMID: 34884059 PMCID: PMC8659921 DOI: 10.3390/s21238056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Spirometer measurements can reflect cough strength but might not be routinely available for patients with severe neurological or medical conditions. A digital device that can record and help track abnormal cough sound changes serially in a noninvasive but reliable manner would be beneficial for monitoring such individuals. This report includes two cases of respiratory distress whose cough changes were monitored via assessments performed using recordings made with a digital device. The cough sounds were recorded using an iPad (Apple, Cupertino, CA, USA) through an embedded microphone. Cough sounds were recorded at the bedside, with no additional special equipment. The two patients were able to complete the recordings with no complications. The maximum root mean square values obtained from the cough sounds were significantly reduced when both cases were diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia. In contrast, higher values became apparent when the patients demonstrated a less severe status. Based on an analysis of our two cases, the patients’ cough sounds recorded with a commercial digital device show promise as potential digital biomarkers that may reflect aspiration risk related to attenuated cough force. Serial monitoring aided the decision making to resume oral feeding. Future studies should further explore the clinical utility of this technique.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Seon Kang
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 14647, Korea; (H.-S.K.); (E.-G.L.)
| | - Eung-Gu Lee
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 14647, Korea; (H.-S.K.); (E.-G.L.)
| | - Cheol-Ki Kim
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 14647, Korea;
| | - Andy Jung
- Soundable Health, Inc., San Francisco, CA 94105, USA; (A.J.); (C.S.)
| | - Catherine Song
- Soundable Health, Inc., San Francisco, CA 94105, USA; (A.J.); (C.S.)
| | - Sun Im
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 14647, Korea;
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +82-32-340-2170
| |
Collapse
|