Eosinophil Cationic Protein and Chemokines in Nasopharyngeal Secretions of Infants with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Bronchiolitis and Non-RSV Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis is a risk factor for the development of childhood asthma. Eosinophilic inflammation in airways plays an important role in the pathophysiology of both bronchiolitis and asthma. To investigate this inflammation, we measured the eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and eotaxin levels in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS). Twenty-eight patients with RSV bronchiolitis (RSV group), 11 patients with non-RSV bronchiolitis (non-RSV group) and 7 controls were enrolled in this study. ECP, RANTES, and eotaxin levels were measured by enzyme immunoassays. The ECP level in the NPS of the RSV group was significantly higher than that in the NPS of the non-RSV group and controls. RANTES and eotaxin levels in infants with bronchiolitis were significantly higher than those in the controls, but there was no significant difference between the RSV and non-RSV groups. In conclusion, with regard to eosinophilic airway inflammation, as compared with non-RSV bronchiolitis, RSV bronchiolitis may be more similar to childhood asthma.

A primate model of respiratory syncytial virus infection.

To determine whether bonnet monkeys are susceptible to infection and disease due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), 4 juvenile bonnet monkeys (Macaca radiata) were inoculated with RSV intratracheally and sacrificed at 3, 5, 7 and 9 days post infection. RSV was cultured from pre-autopsy broncheoalveolar lavage fluid from all 4 animals with a peak titre of virus on day 9. Serum RSV neutralizing antibody was present by day 7. Animals developed tachypnoea and chest retractions by 5th day post infection and 2 animals had lobular pneumonia on chest radiography. The pathological changes were of a bronchovascular inflammation, interstitial pneumonia and alveolitis, akin to that seen in humans. These findings show that bonnet monkeys can be infected with RSV, and can develop immune response and clinical and pathological changes similar to those seen in human infants with RSV disease. Thus intractracheal RSV inoculation of juvenile bonnet monkeys appears to be a good model to study pathogenesis of RSV disease.

Estudio comparativo de la IgA secretora / Comparative study of secretor IgA

Objetivo: medir y comparar los niveles de IgA secretora (SIGA) en la mucosa del árbol respiratorio. Diseño: estudio transversal descriptivo. Lugar de realización: Departamento de Neumología, Hospital General del CMN L Raza, IMSS. Material y métodos: se incluyeron 35 sujetos voluntarios con consentimiento informado para someterse a lavado nasal y lavado bronquial, cuyas mustras junto con la expectoración se analizaron para determinar niveles de SIgA por el método nefelométrico, reportándose como la concentración relativa de SIgA/concentración entre los tres tipos de muestras. Resultados: los valores de SIgA en expectoración, lavado nasofaríngeo y lavado bronquial fueron similares. La media y error estándar a nivel nosofaríngeo fue 0.ñ064 0.007, a nivel de esputo 0.073 ñ 0.01 y a nivel bronquial 0. 082 ñ 0.017. La correlación obtuvo r= 0.508 (p < 0.01)

Detección y caracterización rápida de los virus de influenza A y B en secreciones nasofaríngeas mediante el método de la inmunoperoxidasa / Fast detection and characterization of the influenza Aand B viruses in nasopharyngeal secretions by the immunoperoxidase method

Con el objetivo de identificar en forma rápida los virus de influenza, se estudiaron 148 muestras de pacientes con sintomatología compatible con esta entidad Para ello fue desarrollado un cultivo rápido de células MDCK-1, en placas de 96 pozuelos, donde fueron inoculados los exudados nasofaríngeos o gargarismos, e incubados durante una noche a 37 grados C, el medio fue eliminado y las células fueron lavadas con buffer fosfato salina; posteriormente fueron fijadas con metanol y los antígenos virales detectados por la técnica de inmunoperoxidasa mediante un pool de anticuerpos monoclonales contra la influenza A y otro contra la influenza B. Para el subtipaje en A (H3N2) y A (H1N1). Del total de muestras positivas (136) correspondió 72,1 porciento para el tipo A y a los subtipos H1 y H3, 34,6 y 37,5 porciento, respectivamente. La influenza B se detectó en 27,9 porciento de las 148 muestras investigadas, sólo 12 resultaron negativas (8,1 porciento). Se recomienda la utilización de esta técnica como un método de diagnóstico rápido, sensible, conveniente y fácil de realizar e interpretar para la detección t caracterización en tipo y subtipo de los virus de influenza a partir de exudados nasofaríngeos o gargarismos

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis: comparative study of RSV groups A and B infected children

The grouping characteristics of 29 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) present in nasopharyngeal cells collected from hospitalized children with bronchiolitis during the 1990 RSV season in Porto Alegre, RS, were analysed. Twenty-two were grouped as belonging to group A and 7 to group B. Cyanosis, oxygen therapy, cough, length of hospitalization and atelectasis were observed to be more frequently found within group B infected children. Other clinical signs and symptoms were similarly found in both groups