Development and Validation of a Predictive Model for Wheezing Illness Following Human Bocavirus 1 Infection in

Ri De1, Zeng Li1, Kexiang Zhang1

  • 1Laboratory of Virology, Capital Center for Children's Health, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.

Microorganisms
|July 28, 2026
PubMed

Insights

This study identifies key predictors for wheezing illness in children with Human Bocavirus 1 (HBoV1) infection. The findings enable early risk stratification for timely clinical intervention in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Respiratory Illnesses in Children
  • Clinical Predictive Modeling

Background:

  • Human Bocavirus 1 (HBoV1) is a significant pathogen linked to pediatric wheezing illnesses.
  • Effective clinical indicators for predicting wheezing in HBoV1-infected children are currently lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a predictive model for identifying children at high risk of wheezing illness following HBoV1 infection.
  • To identify key clinical predictors associated with wheezing in pediatric HBoV1 cases.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective cohort study of 330 pediatric patients with single HBoV1 infection.
  • Univariate and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) logistic regression for predictor screening.
  • Multivariate logistic regression model construction and validation using training (80%) and testing (20%) datasets.

Main Results:

  • Abnormal NK cell percentage, preterm birth, and personal history of allergy were identified as independent predictors of wheezing illness.
  • The predictive model demonstrated high performance with Area Under the Curve (AUC) values of 0.904 (training) and 0.876 (testing).
  • The model accurately stratified patients into high-risk (85.3% wheezing rate) and low-risk (18.7% wheezing rate) groups in the test set.

Conclusions:

  • A validated predictive model incorporating NK cell percentage, preterm birth, and allergy history effectively stratifies wheezing illness risk in children with HBoV1 infection.
  • This model facilitates early clinical intervention for pediatric patients diagnosed with HBoV1.
  • The findings contribute to improved management strategies for HBoV1-associated respiratory symptoms in children.