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Association between human rhinovirus C and severity of acute asthma in children

J Bizzintino1, W-M Lee, I A Laing

  • 1School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Perth WA 6840, Australia. joeleneb@ichr.uwa.edu.au

The European Respiratory Journal
|August 10, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Human rhinovirus group C (HRVC) is a newly discovered virus associated with severe asthma attacks in children. This study found HRVC in most children presenting to the emergency department with acute asthma, indicating its significant role.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
  • Virology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Human rhinovirus (HRV) is a common respiratory pathogen.
  • A novel and potentially more pathogenic group, HRV group C (HRVC), has been recently identified.
  • The clinical impact of HRVC in pediatric asthma exacerbations remains largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of HRVC in children with acute asthma.
  • To determine if HRVC is associated with more severe asthma exacerbations compared to other HRV groups or non-HRV viruses.
  • To assess the role of HRVC in pediatric asthma attacks requiring emergency department visits.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 128 children (age 2-16 years) presenting to an emergency department with acute asthma was recruited.
  • Asthma exacerbation severity was assessed using standardized scoring.
  • Respiratory viruses and specific HRV strains (HRVA, HRVB, HRVC) were identified in nasal aspirates using molecular methods.

Main Results:

  • HRV was detected in 87.5% of children, with HRVC identified in the majority (59.4%) of these cases.
  • Children infected with HRVC exhibited significantly higher asthma severity scores compared to those with HRVA/HRVB or non-HRV infections (p = 0.018 and p = 0.016, respectively).
  • HRVC was associated with the majority of asthma attacks in this pediatric cohort, often leading to hospitalization (98.9%).

Conclusions:

  • HRVC is the predominant HRV group associated with acute asthma exacerbations in children presenting to emergency departments.
  • HRVC infection is linked to more severe asthma attacks than previously known HRV groups and other respiratory viruses.
  • These findings highlight HRVC as a significant contributor to severe pediatric asthma, necessitating further research into targeted interventions.

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