title: [Potential neurocognitive consequences of infection by human respiratory syncytial virus].
abstract: Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection remains as a major cause of morbidity and mortality among pediatric population. Immune response is poor and unable to establish a long term effective protection against this virus. Of particular interest has been the description of extrapulmonary manifestations of RSV infection in liver, kidney, endocrine system, heart and brain, associated to infection of peripheral blood. In the central nervous system (CNS), recent studies in animals have suggested long term neurocognitive impairment due to a direct damage from the virus. This was prevented in rats by a recombinant BCG vaccine expressing a nucleoprotein N of RSV that produces an effective immune response against the virus, not allowing its dissemination to the CNS. These findings in animal models highlight the importance of conducting more specific studies in children affected with severe infection by RSV. Therefore, our group is currently conducting an assessment of the possible long-term cognitive impairment in children under 2 years. The results of this study could be a strong argument to continue looking for an effective method for protecting against RSV infection.
authors.affiliation: División de Pediatría, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bohmwald
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Janyra
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Espinoza
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Crlstlna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jara
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoyos-Bachiloglu
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iturriaga
authors.affiliation: Instituto Milenio en Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, arturobor@med.puc.cl.
authors.forename: Alexis M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kalergis
authors.affiliation: Instituto Milenio en Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, arturobor@med.puc.cl.
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borzutzky
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D020805:Central Nervous System Viral Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D051381:Rats; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index