title: Human metapneumovirus infection plays an etiologic role in acute asthma exacerbations requiring hospitalization in adults.
abstract: We determined the prevalence of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection in adults with asthma who were prospectively enrolled after hospitalization for an acute asthma exacerbation. Nasal wash specimens collected at admission and 3 months after discharge were tested for hMPV by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. hMPV was detected in 7 (6.9%) of 101 subjects at hospitalization and in 1 (1.3%) of 75 subjects at follow-up (odds ratio, 7 [95% confidence interval, 0.9-312]; P=.03). None of the patients with hMPV infection at hospitalization tested positive at follow-up, strongly suggesting that hMPV plays a direct etiologic role in acute asthma exacerbations.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatric, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-8300, USA.
authors.forename: John V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Enriquez
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Minton
authors.forename: R Stokes
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Peebles
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Tina V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Hartert
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index