What role for human rhinoviruses in the lower respiratory tract?
Human rhinoviruses (HRV) usually cause upper airway infections. However, viral replication in the tracheobronchial tree has been disclosed, although its clinical role is poorly known. We evaluated the prevalence of HRV in 159 bronchoalveolar lavages from 88 patients and describe a lung transplant recipient with a high HRV load in association with acute rejection. HRV was detected in 22/88 patients (25.0%): 7/18 lung transplant recipients, 11/41 immunocompetent, and 4/29 immunocompromised (p = n.s.). No lung disease was significantly associated with HRV positivity. It should be recommended to include HRV in the virological diagnostic work-up of lower respiratory specimens to elucidate their role.
Costa
Cristina
C
SCDU Virologia, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Microbiologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Giovanni Battista, Via Santena, 9-10126 Torino. cristina.costa@unito.it
Bergallo
Massimiliano
M
Sidoti
Francesca
F
Terlizzi
Maria Elena
ME
Astegiano
Sara
S
Botto
Sara
S
Elia
Mariateresa
M
Cavallo
Rossana
R
D000368:Aged; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D019562:Viral Load