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High pneumococcal density correlates with more mucosal inflammation and reduced respiratory syncytial virus disease

Marloes Vissers1, Inge M Ahout1, Corné H van den Kieboom1

  • 1Laboratory of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, P. O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

BMC Infectious Diseases
|March 18, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Pneumococcal carriage in infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection did not predict disease severity. However, higher Streptococcus pneumoniae density correlated with increased RSV load and inflammation, suggesting density may indicate severity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Virology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes significant lower respiratory tract infections in infants.
  • The reasons for severe RSV infections in previously healthy infants remain unclear.
  • Investigating co-infections and carriage patterns may reveal factors influencing disease severity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if Streptococcus pneumoniae nasopharyngeal carriage patterns correlate with mucosal inflammation and disease severity in infants hospitalized with RSV.
  • To explore the relationship between pneumococcal density, viral load, and inflammatory markers.

Main Methods:

  • 105 infants hospitalized with RSV infection were studied.
  • Nasopharyngeal samples were analyzed for Streptococcus pneumoniae presence and density using RT qPCR.
  • Viral load and inflammatory markers (MMP-9, IL-6) were measured.

Main Results:

  • Pneumococcal presence or absence did not correlate with RSV viral load, inflammation, or disease severity.
  • A higher density of Streptococcus pneumoniae was associated with a higher RSV load.
  • Increased pneumococcal density correlated with higher MMP-9 levels and a less severe disease course.

Conclusions:

  • Pneumococcal density, not just presence, shows a correlation with viral load, inflammation, and disease severity in pediatric RSV.
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae density may serve as an indicator for disease severity in infants with RSV infections.
Abstract

Keywords:
Disease severityMMP-9Nasopharyngeal colonizationRespiratory syncytial virusStreptococcus pneumoniae

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