Pathogenic analysis of acute lower respiratory infections and its correlation with asthma exacerbations / 天津医药

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the prevalence of year-round respiratory viral infection in children with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), and the relationship between respiratory viral infection and allergen sensitization in exacerbating asthma. Methods A total of 231 hospitalized children with acute LRTI were investigated from May 2013 to April 2014. The 5 most common respiratory viruses were isolated from nasopharyngeal aspirate using multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus (AV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), influenza virus (IFV) and rhinovirus (RV). Atopic sensitization was defined if more than 1 serum specific immunoglobulin E level measured using immunofluorescence experiment was over 0.35 IU/mL. Results RSV was the most common pathogen of bronchiolitis in hospitalized children through the year. RV or IFV infections were more prevalent in asthma exacerbations compared to other LRTIs. AV was more likely to cause pneumonia. RV and IFV were associated with asthma exacerbations in children with atopic sensitization, but not in nonatopic children. Conclusion RV and IFV are associated with hospitalization for asthma exacerbation in children with atopic sensitization.