title: Clinical features of community acquired adenovirus pneumonia during the 2011 community outbreak in Southern Taiwan: role of host immune response.
abstract: Human adenovirus 7 (HAdV-7) was responsible for a significant number of fatalities during the 2011 community outbreak in Taiwan. The mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of severe adenovirus infections in non-immunocompromised individuals remain unclear. Adenovirus pneumonia was associated with pleural effusion in a number of patients from the 2011 outbreak suggesting that similar to bacterial pneumonia, patients diagnosed with adenovirus pneumonia who have pleural effusion are more severely and systemically infected, and may have a more protracted disease course. We hypothesized that the host immunological response determines the severity of adenoviral infection.
  
  
  
  This retrospective case series study included patients diagnosed with severe lower respiratory tract infections at the National Cheng Kung University Hospital in southern Taiwan between December 2010 and October 2011. The main inclusion criteria were 1) presence of multifocal patchy infiltrates, lobar consolidation or reticular interstitial opacities in chest X-rays, and 2) presence of adenovirus isolated from respiratory specimens. All patients had adenovirus isolated from respiratory specimens, and were negative for other viruses. Pleural effusion was confirmed in all patients using chest echography. Clinical features and laboratory data were compared in patients with (n = 12) and without (n = 15) parapneumonic effusion.
  
  
  
  Presence of parapneumonic effusion was significantly associated with a longer febrile duration, more complicated clinical management, and a greater risk of extrapulmonary involvement, notably hepatitis. Patients without pleural effusion had significantly higher numbers of WBCs, platelets, and absolute segment cell counts (ASCs) compared to patients with pleural effusion (all p < 0.05). Patients without pleural effusion had significantly higher counts of CD4+, CD8+, and CD20+ T cells (all p < 0.05) compared to patients with pleural effusion.
  
  
  
  Our data indicated that presence of parapneumonic effusion in adenoviral pneumonia was associated with longer febrile duration, more complicated clinical management, a greater risk of hepatitis, and suppression of host cellular immunity. Further prospective, large-scale studies are needed to validate our results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 138, Sheng Li Road, North Dist., Tainan, 70403, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Fen
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.|Center of Infectious Disease and Signaling Research, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tzong-Shiann
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 138, Sheng Li Road, North Dist., Tainan, 70403, Taiwan. liucc@mail.ncku.edu.tw.|Center of Infectious Disease and Signaling Research, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. liucc@mail.ncku.edu.tw.|Center for Infection Control, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. liucc@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Ching-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000258:Adenovirus Infections, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Human adenovirus; Immune response; Pleural effusion; Pneumonia; T cells