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An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
Published on: December 10, 2013
Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Respiratory Diseases in Children and Adults
Tobias Tenenbaum1, Johannes Liese, Tobias Welte
1Clinic for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Sana Klinikum Lichtenberg, Academic Teaching Hospital Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin; Department of Pediatric Medicine, Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Würzburg; Department of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Disease, Hannover School of Medicine (MHH), Hannover; The German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease (BREATH), Hannover.
Insights
New preventive strategies, including monoclonal antibodies and vaccines, are highly effective in preventing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in infants, pregnant women, and older adults. These advancements offer targeted protection against RSV LRTI for at-risk populations.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes approximately 33 million annual infections globally, primarily affecting neonates, infants, and young children.
- Hospitalization rates for RSV are significant, with 1-2% of infections requiring hospitalization, and the burden in adults is likely underestimated.
- Current clinical practice lacks approved antiviral therapies for RSV.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review available publications on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.
- To focus on effective prevention strategies for RSV, including passive immunization and active vaccination.
- To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of new RSV prevention methods in various population groups.
Main Methods:
- A selective literature search was conducted using PubMed.
- Publications were reviewed with a specific emphasis on recommendations for RSV infection prevention.
- Data on the efficacy of passive immunization and active vaccination strategies were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Passive immunization in infants demonstrated high efficacy (75.7%) in lowering severe lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI).
- Active vaccination of pregnant women showed significant efficacy (69.4%) in preventing severe RSV infection in young infants.
- Approved vaccines for older adults, including recombinant and bivalent options, exhibited high efficacy (94.1% and 85.7% respectively) and were well-tolerated.
Conclusions:
- The recent approval of RSV-specific monoclonal antibodies and active vaccines marks a significant advancement in preventing RSV infections.
- These new preventive measures allow for targeted interventions in key at-risk populations.
- The availability of effective vaccines and antibodies provides crucial tools for controlling RSV disease burden.
Background:
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), particularly in neonates, infants and young children, with approximately 33 million infections worldwide each year. 1-2% of episodes lead to hospitalization. There are hardly any reliable epidemiological figures on hospital - ization in adults, whose burden of disease from RSV is probably markedly underestimated.
Methods:
This review is based on publications retrieved by a selective search in PubMed, with particular attention to recommendations for the prevention of RSV infection.
Results:
There is no approved antiviral therapy for clinical practice, but preventive strategies are increasingly becoming available. Passive immunization in infants is well tolerated and highly effective, as is the active vaccination of pregnant women to prevent severe RSV infection in young infants. The former was found to lower the frequency of severe LRTI (5/4037 in the vaccination group vs. 19/4031 individuals in the placebo group), yielding an efficacy of 75.7%; for the latter, the corresponding findings were a reduction to 19/3682 in the vaccination group vs. 62/3676 in the placebo group, or 69.4% efficacy. For the active vaccination of older adults, both a recombinant vaccine with adjuvant and a bivalent vaccine have recently been approved. These, too, are well tolerated and highly effective: the former lowered the frequency of severe LRTI to 1/12466 in the vaccination group vs. 17/12494 in the placebo group (94.1% efficacy), while the latter lowered the frequency of LRTI with 3 or more manifestations to 2/17215 in the vaccination group vs. 14/17069 in the placebo group (85.7% efficacy).
Conclusion:
The approval of new RSV-specific monoclonal antibodies and active vaccinations enables targeted prevention of RSV infection in the main population groups at risk.
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