Article in Japanese

Nasal cytokine response to respiratory syncytial virus infection in childhood

Taro MIURA, Yasuyo KASHIWAGI, Hisashi KAWASHIMA

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a severe respiratory disease in infants. However, the levels of chemokines and cytokines in the nasal aspirate of patients remain unclear. This study determined the levels of chemokines and cytokines in order to elucidate the role of chemokine and cytokine production in serious and mild RSV infection.
A total of 46 children were classified into 2 groups of patients: a serious (n=14; 7 boys, 7 girls) and mild group (n=32; 18 boys, 14 girls). The average and standard deviation of age in the patients was 4.5±4.8 months and 12.1±7.5 months in the serious and mild group, respectively. The levels of 3 chemokines and 14 cytokines in the nasal aspirates of 46 RSV infections were determined. The level of the cytokine IL-13 and messenger RNA in IL-8 was elevated markedly and significantly in the serious group, respectively. The IL-8-251A allele tended to associate with increased IL-8 production in RSV infection. Severity of the illness may be correlated with chemokine and cytokine production caused by not only RSV infection but also genetic factor.

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Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Medical University

Key words
Received	April 18, 2013
Accepted	June 3, 2013

25 (3)：255─262,2013