Genetic relatedness of infecting and reinfecting respiratory syncytial virus strains identified in a birth cohort from rural Kenya

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) reinfects individuals repeatedly. The extent to which this is a consequence of RSV antigenic diversity is unclear. Methods: Six-hundred thirty-five children from rural Kenya were closely monitored for RSV infection from birth through 3 consecutive RSV epidemics. RSV infections were identified by immunofluorescence testing of nasal washing samples collected during acute respiratory illnesses, typed into group A and B, and sequenced in the attachment (G) protein. A positive sample separated from a previous positive by ≥14 days was defined as a reinfection a priori. Results: Phylogenetic analysis was undertaken for 325 (80%) of 409 identified infections, including 53 (64%) of 83 reinfections. Heterologous group reinfections were observed in 28 episodes, and homologous group reinfections were observed in 25 episodes; 10 involved homologous genotypes, 5 showed no amino acid changes, and 3 were separated by 21–24 days and were potentially persistent infections. The temporal distribution of genotypes among reinfections did not differ from that of single infections. Conclusions: The vast majority of infection and reinfection pairs differed by group, genotype, or G amino acid sequence (ie, comprised distinct viruses). The extent to which this is a consequence of immune memory of infection history or prevalent diversity remains unclear

Synthetic Peptide and Protein Domain Arrays Prepared by the SPOT Technology

The SPOT™ technology for highly parallel synthesis of peptides on flat surfaces in array type format has evolved into a versatile toolbox for a variety of applications in proteomics such as mapping protein-protein interactions and profiling the substrate specificity of enzymes such as kinases and proteases. Originally developed for the synthesis of short overlapping peptide sequences for mapping antibody epitopes this technology has recently been extended to the synthesis of functional protein domains. This opens up a variety of future applications such as target identification and protein expression profiling

The etiological role of common respiratory viruses in acute respiratory infections in older adults::A systematic review and meta-analysis

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARI) constitute a substantial disease burden in adults and elderly individuals. We aimed to identify all case-control studies investigating the potential role of respiratory viruses in the etiology of ARI in older adults aged ≥65 years. We conducted a systematic literature review (across 7 databases) of case-control studies published from 1996 to 2017 that investigated the viral profile of older adults with and those without ARI. We then computed a pooled odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval and virus-specific attributable fraction among the exposed (AFE) for 8 common viruses: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza virus (Flu), parainfluenza virus (PIV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), adenovirus (AdV), rhinovirus (RV), bocavirus (BoV), and coronavirus (CoV). From the 16 studies included, there was strong evidence of possible causal attribution for RSV (OR, 8.5 [95% CI, 3.9-18.5]; AFE, 88%), Flu (OR, 8.3 [95% CI, 4.4-15.9]; AFE, 88%), PIV (OR, not available; AFE, approximately 100%), HMPV (OR, 9.8 [95% CI, 2.3-41.0]; AFE, 90%), AdV (OR, not available; AFE, approximately 100%), RV (OR, 7.1 [95% CI, 3.7-13.6]; AFE, 86%) and CoV (OR, 2.8 [95% CI, 2.0-4.1]; AFE, 65%) in older adults presenting with ARI, compared with those without respiratory symptoms (ie, asymptomatic individuals) or healthy older adults. However, there was no significant difference in the detection of BoV in cases and controls. This review supports RSV, Flu, PIV, HMPV, AdV, RV, and CoV as important causes of ARI in older adults and provides quantitative estimates of the absolute proportion of virus-associated ARI cases to which a viral cause can be attributed. Disease burden estimates should take into account the appropriate AFE estimates (for older adults) that we report

IL‐17E (IL‐25) and IL‐17RB promote respiratory syncytial virus‐induced pulmonary disease

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141555/1/jlb0809.pd

Risk factors and medical resource utilization of respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, and influenza-related hospitalizations in adults—a global study during the 2017–2019 epidemic seasons (hospitalized acute respiratory tract infection [HARTI] study)

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), and influenza are respiratory pathogens leading to hospitalization in adults. Our understanding of the disease burden is limited to data from single-center or 1-season studies in elderly patients. The HARTI study allows comparison of risk factors for progression to severe disease and medical resources utilization (MRU) during and post-hospitalization in adults diagnosed with influenza, RSV, or hMPV. Methods: This was a prospective global study in adults hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection (40 centers, 12 countries). Participants with influenza, RSV, or hMPV were enrolled in a substudy and followed for up to 3 months postdischarge. Results: Overall, 366 influenza, 238 RSV, and 100 hMPV-infected participants enrolled in the substudy. RSV participants were older and had greater frequency of risk factors and longer duration of symptoms before hospitalization than influenza participants. The RSV and hMPV groups received more bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and oxygen supplementation. No significant differences in intensive care unit admissions or complications were observed. Readmission occurred in 20%-33% of patients within 3 months postdischarge, with the highest rates for RSV and hMPV. In-hospital death occurred in 2.5% of RSV, 1.6% of influenza, and 2% of hMPV participants. In multivariate analyses, length of stay was independently associated with country, renal disease, and increased age; probability of receiving supplemental oxygen was associated with pathogen (hMPV \u3e RSV \u3e influenza), abnormal chest x-ray, and increased age. Conclusions: Although influenza is more frequent, the HARTI study demonstrates greater frequency of underlying risk factors and MRU for RSV and hMPV vs influenza in hospitalized adults, indicating a need for effective interventions

Respiratory Tract Reinfections by the New Human Metapneumovirus in an Immunocompromised Child

The human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), a new member of the Paramyxoviridae family, has been recently associated with respiratory tract infections in young children. We report the case of a young, immunocompromised child who had severe lower respiratory tract infections during two consecutive winter seasons caused by genetically distinct HMPV strains