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Updated: Apr 26, 2026
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
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Do Respiratory Viruses Cause Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Şeyma Nur Karataş1, Eren Çağan2, Kaan Demirören3
1Department of Pediatric, Bursa Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Türkiye.
Turkish Archives of Pediatrics
|April 25, 2026
Summary
Respiratory viral infections in infants did not increase serum zonulin or thymus-expressed chemokine (TECK) levels. Both biomarkers showed a positive correlation and peaked in the second half of the first year of life.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric immunology
- Gastroenterology
- Infectious diseases
Background:
- Intestinal permeability is linked to allergic and autoinflammatory diseases.
- Zonulin regulates intestinal tight junctions, while thymus-expressed chemokine (TECK) is involved in mucosal immunity.
- Respiratory viral infections are common in infants and may affect gut health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if respiratory viral infections cause leaky gut syndrome in infants.
- To assess the role of TECK in this potential association.
- To examine zonulin and TECK levels in infants hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis.
Main Methods:
- Enrolled 116 infants (78 patients with bronchiolitis, 38 healthy controls) aged 1-24 months.
- Measured serum zonulin and TECK levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
- Categorized patients into mild and moderate-to-severe subgroups based on the Modified Tal Score.
Main Results:
- Serum zonulin levels were significantly lower in infants with bronchiolitis compared to controls.
- No significant difference in TECK levels was observed between patient and control groups.
- A strong positive correlation (r=0.53, P<.001) was found between zonulin and TECK levels, both peaking in the second half of the first year of life.
Conclusions:
- Acute bronchiolitis from respiratory viral infections in infants is not associated with increased serum zonulin or TECK levels.
- Zonulin and TECK levels naturally increase during the second half of infancy, showing a strong positive correlation.
- These findings suggest that viral infections do not directly elevate these specific gut permeability and immune markers in this age group.
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