Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: [Truncated abstract] Acute asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways that is characterised by a significant deterioration in respiratory condition and is a primary cause of hospitalisation for young children. The majority of asthma exacerbations have been associated with human rhinovirus (HRV) infection. A new and potentially more pathogenic group of HRVs, called HRVC, has recently been discovered, yet their role in asthma exacerbations has not been elucidated. In addition, viral recognition pathways that are crucial for initiating host innate and adaptive immune responses to these viruses have not been explored for genetic variations that may predispose to acute asthma or modify disease. The aim of this project was to determine the strains of HRV infecting children during an asthma attack and to investigate their influence on severity and other acute asthma phenotypes. In addition, we aimed to study single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in antiviral defence as well as candidate genes identified by micro-array of paired acute and convalescent samples for their potential contribution to asthma exacerbations. We hypothesised that HRVC would be present in children with acute asthma and cause more severe attacks than other viruses detected. We also hypothesised that genetic variations in immune response genes and novel candidates would be associated with acute asthma phenotypes, including susceptibility, gene expression and exacerbation severity. Children with acute asthma aged 2-16 years (n=232) were recruited upon presentation to hospital and followed up after at least six weeks. Asthma exacerbation severity was assessed in each child and respiratory viruses and HRV strains were identified in 128 nasal aspirates. Gene expression levels were measured by qRT-PCR of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) mRNA from a subset of 50 cases with paired acute and convalescent samples.
Author: Joelene Bizzintino
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2593895728