Molecular and demographic analysis of respiratory syncytial virus infection in patients admitted to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand, 2007.
OBJECTIVE
To preliminary preview the molecular character and its possible clinical correlation of RSV subgroups in Thailand.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analytic design.


METHODS
Admitted acute lower respiratory tract infection patients of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, during Jun-Dec, 2007 were recruited.


METHODS
Nasopharyngeal aspirations were collected.


METHODS
All samples were analyzed for the presence of RSV glycoprotein G gene by reverse transcription PCR. Molecular character of each subgroup was determined by sequencing. Admission records were also analyzed for clinical correlations.


RESULTS
Equal infectivity and severity of both RSV subgroups to the patients was shown. Mixed infection was shown to be as common as each single infection, higher than previously reported. GA2 of subgroup A and BA-IV of subgroup B were the most widespread genotypes and showed their monophyletic origins. From admission records, either type of infection did not show significantly preference in demographic record or clinical severity. Comorbidity, however, was statistically significant that more congenital heart disease was found in negative RSV cases, while more chronic pulmonary disease was in positive cases. Nevertheless, the clinical severity was insignificantly different suggesting that only patients with chronic pulmonary underlying were prone to be infected with RSV.


CONCLUSIONS
This preliminary RSV study showed prevalence of subgroups, types of infection, and common genotypes in an epidemic, uncorrelated to demography or clinical severity.
Boonyasuppayakorn
Siwaporn
S
Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Kowitdamrong
Ekasit
E
Bhattarakosol
Parvapan
P
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics
C502275:G glycoprotein, Respiratory syncytial virus; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins