Type 1-like immune response is found in children with respiratory syncytial virus infection regardless of clinical severity

• Published in: Journal of medical virology Vol. 62; no. 2; pp. 267 - 277
• Main Authors: Brandenburg, A.H., Kleinjan, A., van het Land, B., Moll, H.A., Timmerman, H.H., de Swart, R.L., Neijens, H.J., Fokkens, W., Osterhaus, A.D.M.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-10-2000; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; bronchiolitis; cellular infiltrate; cytokine; Cytokines - blood; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infant; Infectious diseases; Interferon-gamma - analysis; Interleukins - analysis; Lymphocyte Activation; Medical sciences; Nasopharynx - cytology; Nasopharynx - immunology; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - immunology; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - physiopathology; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - virology; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses - immunology; Respiratory Tract Infections - immunology; Respiratory Tract Infections - physiopathology; Respiratory Tract Infections - virology; Severity of Illness Index; T cell; Th1 Cells - immunology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the respiratory system and ent viral diseases; Human; Human respiratory syncytial virus; Immune response; Pneumovirinae; Respiratory disease; Pathogenesis; Cytokine; Helper cell; Inflammation; Paramyxoviridae; Bronchiolitis; Infection; Virus; Mononegavirales; Interleukin 4; Viral disease; Interleukin 10; T-Lymphocyte; Bronchus disease; Pneumovirus; Child; Gamma interferon
• ISSN: 0146-6615; 1096-9071
• DOI: 10.1002/1096-9071(200010)62:2<267::AID-JMV20>3.0.CO;2-8

The immunological response of infants younger than six months to infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was studied in relation to clinical severity. IL‐6 and IL‐8 were found more frequently and at higher levels in the plasma samples of more severely ill patients and no significant differences were found in the levels of cytokines differentiating between Type 1 and Type 2 responses. Cellular infiltrates in nasopharyngeal washings consisted mainly of polymorphonuclear granulocytes and monocytes. Eosinophils, IgE positive cells and tryptase positive cells were found sporadically. Analyses of RSV stimulated T cell cultures established from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, for intracellular and secreted cytokines showed that, irrespective of clinical severity, the responses were dominated by the production of IFN‐γ, and that only low levels of IL‐4 and IL‐10 were detectable. Collectively these data do not indicate an association between clinical severity and a Type 2‐like T cell response. J. Med. Virol. 62:267–277, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.