Heterogeneity of viral bronchiolitis / 中国实用儿科杂志

ABSTRACT

Bronchiolitis is the most common lower respiratory tract infection and the leading cause of hospitalization in infants. It has become one of the public health problems worldwide. The pathogenesis is unclear and there are currently no targeted therapies that have been proven to be effective in bronchiolitis. There exists a poor understanding of the mechanisms underlying the variable disease severity and the inconsistent manifestation of long-term respiratory morbidity. Nor can these outcomes be reliably predicted in patients on initial presentation. Bronchiolitis is generally considered a single disease,however,more and more researches have shown that it is a heterogeneous disease that needs individualized and specific treatment,with differences in etiology,clinical charicteristics,immunology,microecology and long-term respiratory outcomes. The study on heterogeneity of viral bronchiolitis will contribute to individualized and targeted therapy and may reduce the development of recurrent wheezing and asthma.