Balancing precision versus cohort transcriptomic analysis of acute and recovery phase of viral bronchiolitis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric infectious diseases
• Molecular biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Lower respiratory tract viral infections pose significant healthcare burdens.
• Lack of vaccines and antivirals necessitates better risk factor and outcome analysis.
• Minimally invasive methods like blood analysis can improve patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate transcriptomic signatures in infants with acute bronchiolitis.
• To identify molecular differences between moderate and severe cases.
• To explore sex-based variations in gene expression related to disease severity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized PAXgene RNA sequencing on infant cohorts with acute bronchiolitis.
• Employed case-control statistical analysis and cohort-based outlier mapping.
• Focused on precision transcriptomics for identifying molecular patterns.

Main Results:

• Severe bronchiolitis showed distinct immune, interferon, and cytokine signaling signatures.
• Significant sex differences were observed in specific gene expressions (XIST, RPS4Y1, KDM5D, LINC00278).
• Identified unique secondary infections, cytokine activation, and immune responses in individual patients.

Conclusions:

• Patient-level transcriptomic signatures are crucial for understanding adverse outcomes in viral bronchiolitis.
• Integrating cohort biomarkers with individual biological responses is essential.
• Precision medicine approaches can enhance healthcare for viral respiratory infections.