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The role of respiratory viruses in cystic fibrosis

Dennis Wat1, Colin Gelder2, Sam Hibbitts3

  • 1Department of Cystic Fibrosis, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK.

Journal of Cystic Fibrosis : Official Journal of the European Cystic Fibrosis Society
|February 8, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Respiratory viruses significantly increase cystic fibrosis (CF) exacerbations, with upper respiratory symptoms being key indicators. Advanced detection methods improve clinical decision-making for CF patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Genetics and Genomics

Background:

  • Previous research indicates respiratory viruses may worsen cystic fibrosis (CF) exacerbations.
  • Conventional diagnostic methods may underestimate the true impact of viral infections in CF.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between respiratory viruses and CF exacerbations.
  • To evaluate the utility of Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification (NASBA) in detecting viruses during CF exacerbations.

Main Methods:

  • Collected nasal swabs and sputum from children with CF during routine visits and exacerbations.
  • Utilized Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification (NASBA) for respiratory virus detection.
  • Defined respiratory exacerbations based on symptom scores, peak expiratory flow, or parental subjective assessment.

Main Results:

  • Respiratory viruses were detected in 46% of exacerbation samples, compared to 16.9% in asymptomatic samples.
  • Influenza A, influenza B, and rhinovirus were significantly more prevalent during exacerbations.
  • Upper respiratory symptoms strongly correlated with positive viral detection, suggesting viral exacerbations can be independent of bacterial infections.

Conclusions:

  • Respiratory viruses are linked to CF exacerbations, with upper respiratory symptoms as strong predictors.
  • 'Real-time' NASBA offers rapid results, potentially aiding clinical decisions regarding antiviral and antibiotic treatments.
Abstract

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