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Respiratory infections and asthma

E Micillo1, A Bianco, D D'Auria

  • 1Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Second University of Naples, Italy.

Allergy
|August 5, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Respiratory infections, particularly viral ones like human rhinovirus, are strongly linked to asthma attacks in both children and adults. Further research is needed to determine if atypical bacterial infections also play a direct role in asthma exacerbations.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonology and Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology and Immunology

Background:

  • Respiratory infections are a significant trigger for asthma exacerbations.
  • Viral infections, especially human rhinovirus, are associated with a high percentage of asthma attacks in children and adults.
  • Atypical bacteria like Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae are also suspected triggers for asthma symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence linking respiratory infections to asthma attacks.
  • To investigate the pathogenetic mechanisms of viral infections in asthma.
  • To clarify the role of atypical bacterial infections in asthma.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical and experimental studies.
  • Analysis of epidemiological data on asthma exacerbations.
  • Examination of pathogenetic mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Viral upper respiratory infections precipitate 80% of childhood asthma exacerbations and 50% of adult asthma episodes.
  • Human rhinovirus is the primary virus implicated in asthma episodes.
  • The role of atypical bacterial infections (Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae) in asthma pathogenesis remains unclear.

Conclusions:

  • Respiratory infections, particularly viral, are established triggers for asthma attacks.
  • The pathogenic role of atypical bacterial infections in asthma requires further investigation to distinguish between epiphenomenon and causal event.

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