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Updated: Aug 13, 2026
An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
Published on: December 10, 2013
Pathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis-related wheezing
Stelios Psarras1, Nikolaos G Papadopoulos, Sebastian L Johnston
1Allergy Unit, 2nd Pediatric Clinic, University of Athens, Greece.
Insights
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in infants can lead to severe lower airway illness and hospitalizations. Immune responses, particularly a type-2 bias, are linked to disease severity and later wheezing or asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a ubiquitous respiratory pathogen in young children.
- While typically causing mild illness, RSV can lead to severe lower airway disease like bronchiolitis and pneumonia, necessitating hospitalization.
- RSV bronchiolitis hospitalizations have increased, with affected children often developing later-life wheezing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of the immune response in the pathogenesis of severe RSV disease.
- To investigate the association between specific immune profiles (type-1 vs. type-2 cytokines) and disease severity.
- To determine if RSV bronchiolitis can serve as an early indicator of predisposition to wheezing and asthma.
Main Methods:
- This study reviews existing evidence on RSV infection, immune responses, and clinical outcomes.
- It analyzes the relationship between cytokine profiles (type-1 and type-2) and the severity of RSV bronchiolitis.
- The study examines the long-term implications of RSV infection on respiratory health, including wheezing and asthma development.
Main Results:
- A bias towards type-2 cytokine responses is associated with more severe RSV disease and bronchiolitis.
- A type-1 immune response correlates with more effective viral clearance and milder illness.
- Pre-existing type-1 immune deficiencies may exacerbate RSV disease severity.
Conclusions:
- The immune response significantly influences the clinical presentation and severity of RSV infections.
- RSV bronchiolitis may act as a marker for an individual's predisposition to virus-induced wheezing and later-life asthma.
- Understanding these immune mechanisms could inform strategies for preventing severe RSV outcomes and related respiratory conditions.
Abstract:
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of virus infection of the human respiratory tract during the first two years of life, with virtually all children experiencing at least one infection within this period. Although this usually leads to mild respiratory illness, some infants develop more severe disease (bronchiolitis, pneumonia, etc.) affecting the lower airways and frequently requiring hospitalisation. There is evidence that bronchiolitis hospitalisations have increased during the last two decades and many of the hospitalised children develop wheezing later in life. The immune response to the virus is probably a major factor in the development or the expression of the pathological phenotype. In particular, a bias towards type-2 cytokine responses seems to be associated with more severe disease, whereas a type-1 response leads to more effective viral clearance and milder illness. Although the virus by itself triggers a type-1 response, a preexisting type-1 deficiency may contribute to the severity of the disease. In that sense, RSV bronchiolitis may serve as a marker, reflecting predisposition of the individual for virus induced wheezing early in life and/or asthma later in life.
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