Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Respiratory infections and asthma.

David Isaacs1, Preeti Joshi

  • 1Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, University of Sydney, NSW. davidi@chw.edu.au

The Medical Journal of Australia
|September 13, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Respiratory infections like RSV can trigger asthma attacks and reveal underlying asthma in children. Bacterial infections in infancy may offer protection against developing allergies later in life.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/transition metal dichalcogenide hybrid assemblies for emerging pharmaceutical drug detection: Recent advances in electrochemical sensing.

Talanta·2026
Same author

Pediatric Humeral Tuberosity Fractures: Presentation, Management, and Early Outcomes.

Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America·2026
Same author

Dual-functional Ag-Ca@CuO nanocomposites for heavy metal remediation and cancer cell inhibition.

3 Biotech·2025
Same author

Epidemiology of early-onset and late-onset invasive infections in Australian neonates and infants: a retrospective multicentre study.

BMJ public health·2025
Same author

Preoperative Screening Questionnaire for Common Eye Surgeries Safely Reduces the Need for Comprehensive History and Physical Examination.

Ophthalmology·2025
Same author

National best practice guidelines for anaphylaxis prevention and management in Australian schools.

The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. Global·2025

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Immunology
  • Respiratory Medicine

Background:

  • Respiratory viral infections, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), are known triggers for asthma exacerbations.
  • While RSV infections don't typically cause asthma, they are significant triggers for wheezing, often unmasking underlying asthma in children.
  • Conversely, bacterial respiratory infections in infancy seem to confer protection against the development of atopy later in childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether RSV infection in infancy influences T(H)1/T(H)2 immune responses to subsequent respiratory pathogen infections.
  • To elucidate the immunological or mechanical mechanisms by which respiratory pathogens induce wheezing.
  • To clarify the role of respiratory infections in asthma exacerbations and determine if viruses like RSV cause or reveal asthma, and if atopy impacts these responses.

Main Methods:

  • This study focuses on existing knowledge and outlines areas for future research, rather than presenting new experimental data.
  • Key research questions involve immunological profiling, mechanistic studies of wheezing, and epidemiological investigations.
  • Specific areas of inquiry include the impact of RSV on T-cell responses and the protective effects of bacterial infections.

Main Results:

  • Current knowledge indicates that RSV infections are potent triggers of wheezing and can reveal pre-existing asthma.
  • RSV infection itself does not appear to cause atopy.
  • Bacterial respiratory infections in infancy are associated with a protective effect against later atopy.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is needed to understand how RSV infection in infancy affects immune responses to other pathogens.
  • Elucidating the mechanisms of pathogen-induced wheezing and the precise role of respiratory infections in asthma exacerbations is crucial.
  • Investigating the differential responses to RSV versus other viruses, the influence of atopy, and the protective role of bacterial infections will advance our understanding of childhood respiratory health.

Related Experiment Videos