Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 8, 2026

An In vitro Model to Study Immune Responses of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
09:01

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

8.2K

The specific maternal-neonatal immunity against respiratory syncytial virus after the COVID-19 pandemic: an

Maria Giulia Conti1, Leonardo Sorrentino2, Laura Petrarca1

  • 1Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine : the Official Journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians
|December 22, 2025
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic altered immune responses to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in pregnant women and newborns. This immunological shift may explain changes in RSV seasonality and increased bronchiolitis hospitalizations.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Virology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) bronchiolitis poses the highest risk to infants in their first months.
  • Maternal anti-RSV IgG antibodies are crucial for protecting newborns against early-life RSV infection.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the typical seasonality of RSV epidemics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on RSV-specific immunity in pregnant women and their newborns.
  • To compare anti-RSV IgM and IgG levels across different RSV seasons affected by the pandemic.
  • To explore the potential link between altered maternal-newborn immunity and changes in RSV seasonality.

Main Methods:

  • Collected maternal and cord blood samples from mother-newborn dyads over three RSV seasons (2020-2023).
  • Measured anti-RSV IgM and IgG antibody levels in maternal and cord blood samples.
  • Compared antibody levels between groups representing different periods of the pandemic's influence on RSV circulation.

Main Results:

  • Maternal anti-RSV IgM levels were significantly higher in the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons compared to 2020-2021.
  • Anti-RSV IgG levels were significantly lower in maternal and cord blood in the 2021-2022 season, and in cord blood in the 2022-2023 season, compared to 2020-2021.
  • These changes suggest a pandemic-induced 'immunological debit' in RSV-specific immunity.

Conclusions:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have negatively impacted RSV-specific immunity in pregnant women and their infants.
  • This immunological deficit may contribute to the observed alterations in RSV seasonality.
  • The findings could help explain the rise in bronchiolitis hospitalizations following the pandemic restrictions.

Keywords:
COVID-19RSVbronchiolitisnewbornspregnant women

More Related Videos

An Improved and High Throughput Respiratory Syncytial Virus RSV Micro-neutralization Assay09:14

An Improved and High Throughput Respiratory Syncytial Virus RSV Micro-neutralization Assay

Published on: January 26, 2019

11.4K
Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels05:31

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

Published on: August 7, 2017

10.8K

Related Concept Videos

Development of Immunocompetence01:22

Development of Immunocompetence

The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
769
Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology01:29

Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology

The pathophysiology of pneumonia involves the following steps:
2.5K
Acute Respiratory Failure-II01:21

Acute Respiratory Failure-II

Type I Respiratory Failure, or hypoxemic respiratory failure, occurs when the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) in arterial blood falls below 60 mmHg while breathing room air without a corresponding increase in arterial carbon dioxide levels (PaCO2). This condition highlights a significant impairment in the lungs' capacity to oxygenate the blood.
The underlying physiological abnormalities that contribute to hypoxemic respiratory failure include:
980
Acute Respiratory Failure-I01:21

Acute Respiratory Failure-I

Acute respiratory failure is a condition characterized by the inability of the lungs to perform their primary function: gas exchange. This failure leads to insufficient oxygen levels (hypoxemia) in the blood, elevated carbon dioxide levels (hypercapnia), or both, causing critical impairment in organ function.
Definition: It is defined by specific criteria based on blood gas measurements. Hypoxemia happens when the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) falls below 60 mmHg. At the same time,...
784