1. Rhinovirus-induced airway cytokines and respiratory morbidity in severely premature children.
- Author
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Perez, Geovanny F., Pancham, Krishna, Huseni, Shehlanoor, Jain, Amisha, Rodriguez‐Martinez, Carlos E., Preciado, Diego, Rose, Mary C., and Nino, Gustavo
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CYTOKINES , *RHINOVIRUSES , *RESPIRATORY allergy , *RESPIRATORY diseases , *ASTHMA in children , *ALLERGY in children , *PREMATURE infants - Abstract
Background Rhinovirus ( RV) has been linked to the pathogenesis of asthma. Prematurity is a risk factor for severe RV infection in early life, but is unknown if RV elicits enhanced pro-asthmatic airway cytokine responses in premature infants. This study investigated whether young children born severely premature (<32 wks gestation) exhibit airway secretion of Th2 and Th17 cytokines during natural RV infections and whether RV-induced Th2-Th17 responses are linked to more respiratory morbidity in premature children during the first 2 yrs of life. Methods We measured Th2 and Th17 nasal airway cytokines in a retrospective cohort of young children aged 0-2 yrs with PCR-confirmed RV infection or non-detectable virus. Protein levels of IL-4, IL-13, TSLP, and IL-17 were determined with multiplex immunoassays. Demographic and clinical variables were obtained by electronic medical record ( EMR) review. Results The study comprised 214 children born full term (n = 108), preterm (n = 44) or severely premature (n = 62). Natural RV infection in severely premature children was associated with elevated airway secretion of Th2 ( IL-4 and IL-13) and Th17 ( IL-17) cytokines, particularly in subjects with history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Severely premature children with high RV-induced airway IL-4 had recurrent respiratory hospitalizations (median 3.65 hosp/yr; IQR 2.8-4.8) and were more likely to have at least one pediatric intensive care unit admission during the first 2 yrs of life ( OR 8.72; 95% CI 1.3-58.7; p = 0.02). Conclusions Severely premature children have increased airway secretion of Th2 and Th17 cytokines during RV infections, which is associated with more respiratory morbidity in the first 2 yrs of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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