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Rhinovirus-associated wheeze during infancy and asthma development

Tuomas Jartti1, James E Gern

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.

Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews
|October 16, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Human rhinovirus (HRV) causes bronchiolitis in infants, with immune factors like interferon responses and atopy increasing susceptibility. Early HRV infection and wheezing may predict asthma development in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric respiratory infections
  • Immunology of viral diseases
  • Asthma pathogenesis

Background:

  • Human rhinovirus (HRV) is a significant cause of infant bronchiolitis, second only to RSV.
  • Diagnosis of HRV infections primarily relies on PCR detection, identifying symptomatic and asymptomatic cases.
  • Interferon responses and atopy are implicated as key immunologic factors in HRV-bronchiolitis susceptibility.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the link between HRV infection, immune responses, and the development of asthma.
  • To investigate HRV-bronchiolitis as a potential early indicator of asthma risk in infants.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing prospective studies and immunologic data.
  • Analysis of associations between HRV infection, wheezing, and subsequent asthma development.
  • Examination of immune response biases and their role in viral defense and airway inflammation.

Main Results:

  • Susceptibility to HRV-bronchiolitis may stem from biased immune responses, impairing viral defense and promoting atopic inflammation.
  • Early wheezing episodes linked to HRV infection are strong predictors of recurrent wheezing and childhood asthma.
  • HRV infection in wheezing infants shows potential as a marker for identifying children at high risk for asthma.

Conclusions:

  • HRV infections in infants are associated with immune dysregulation, contributing to both susceptibility to bronchiolitis and later asthma development.
  • HRV-bronchiolitis serves as a potential early clinical marker for identifying children predisposed to asthma.
  • Future asthma risk indices should consider incorporating HRV illnesses for improved early identification of at-risk children.

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