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Mucosal IL-36 is a defining feature of severe paediatric bronchiolitis

Megan V C Barnes1, Sophie W H Stretch1, Dawid Swieboda1

  • 1National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.

Mucosal Immunology
|February 11, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Severe infant bronchiolitis involves weakened interferon responses and elevated mucosal IL-36α. This study highlights IL-36α as a key factor in severe paediatric respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and non-RSV bronchiolitis.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Immunology
  • Respiratory Viral Infections
  • Mucosal Immunity

Background:

  • Bronchiolitis is a common cause of hospitalization in infants, primarily due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
  • Pathogenesis involves impaired mucosal interferon response, neutrophilic inflammation, and Type-2 immune responses.
  • Mechanisms underlying severe infantile bronchiolitis remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the specific mucosal immune processes linked to severe pediatric bronchiolitis.
  • To identify molecular signatures differentiating moderate from severe cases of bronchiolitis.

Main Methods:

  • Transcriptomic analysis of mucosal samples from infants with moderate and severe bronchiolitis.
  • Differential gene expression and regression analyses to identify severity-associated genes.
  • In vitro modeling using air-liquid interface human nasal epithelial cells to study immune responses.

Main Results:

  • Confirmed reduced interferon signaling in severe RSV and non-RSV bronchiolitis.
  • Unexpectedly found elevated Interleukin-36 alpha (IL-36α) in the mucosa during early infection.
  • IL-36α, implicated in inflammatory diseases, was produced by epithelial cells and enhanced by neutrophils in vitro. IL36A was decreased in whole blood during severe RSV.

Conclusions:

  • Mucosal IL-36α is a significant feature of severe pediatric bronchiolitis.
  • Findings suggest a role for IL-36α in the pathogenesis of severe RSV and non-RSV bronchiolitis.
  • Interferon response failure is associated with IL-36 secretion in life-threatening pediatric bronchiolitis.
Abstract

Keywords:
BronchiolitisInflammationMucosaRespiratory syncytial virus

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