Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization in young children due to respiratory complications such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
Brigham and Women's HospitalOct 12 2024 Respiratory syncytial virus is the leading cause of hospitalization in young children due to respiratory complications such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Yet little is understood about why some children develop only mild symptoms while others develop severe disease.
As a physician, I help to care for children who have the most severe symptoms, and as a researcher, I'm driven to understand why they become so sick. NK cells are important first responders during viral infection – but they can also contribute to lung inflammation. Interestingly, our findings fit with data from some studies in COVID-19, which reported that patients with the most severe symptoms also had increased NK cells in their airways.
Melody G. Duvall, MD, PhD, corresponding author of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Division of Critical Care Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital Duvall and colleagues, including lead author Roisin B. Reilly of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at BWH, looked at samples from 47 children critically ill with RSV, analyzing immune cells found in their airways and peripheral blood. Compared to uninfected children, those with severe illness had elevated levels of NK cells in their airways and decreased NK cells in their blood.
Duvall and co-authors have previously described a post-pandemic surge in pediatric RSV infections. While clinicians can only provide supportive care to the most severely sick children, vaccines to prevent RSV are now available for children 19 months and younger, adults 60 years and over, and people who are pregnant.Journal reference:Reilly, R.B., et al. An altered natural killer cell immunophenotype characterizes clinically severe pediatric RSV infection. Science Translational Medicine. doi.
Bronchiolitis Cell Children Critical Care Healthcare Hospital Medicine Pneumonia Research Respiratory Respiratory Syncytial Virus Virus
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