Atopic children are more susceptible to viral respiratory infection at the age of 2-5 years old

Background: The susceptibility of the atopic population to respiratory infections (RI) has not been fully elucidated. This susceptibility is attributed to the immune dysregulation that characterizes atopic diseases. Although, the exact mechanisms involved are not fully understood, there is evidence that shows that the maturation of innate immunity progresses differently in patients with atopy. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the susceptibility to viral RIs (VRI) based on the number and duration of them in different age groups in subjects with atopy and subjects without atopy. Methods: Seventy-eight subjects (39 healthy and 39 with atopy) were included in the study. All the subjects were evaluated by a specialist and defined as being atopic if they had a clinical history and/or symptoms compatible with any allergic diseases and relevant sensitizations. Epidemiologic data were recorded based on a standardized questionnaire, which included recording habits, conditions, and living environment as well as the history of viral infections during the last year. Results: In our population, children with atopy were found to be more susceptible to viral RIs than children without atopy (p = 0.02), whereas there was no difference in susceptibility between healthy adults and adults with atopy (18-45 years old). More specifically, the atopic age group 2-5 years old showed the higher susceptibility to VRIs. Conclusion: This study provided evidence that children with atopy, especially at ages 2-5 years old, had more numerically and prolonged RIs than did the subjects without atopy. These clinical findings support the hypothesis of distracted maturation of innate immunity in subjects with atopy.

[Shaping approaches to standardization of oropharynx mucous membrane assessment of immunological parameters]

Basis of acute pharyngitis pathogenesis is an inflammatory process at the entrance gate of the infection. Therefore, local immunity study proves to be the most informative. Difficulty in making that type of assessment is lack of generally accepted reference values and biological sampling techniques.

OBJECTIVE

Validation of biological sampling techniques to study the parameters of local mucosal immunity in oropharynx acute inflammatory diseases.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

30 people with acute catarrhal pharyngitis with intoxication syndrome were examined. The sampling was carried out in 7 different ways. 1. Collect saliva samples using the passive drool collection method. 2. Collect saliva, using cotton swabs placed into the mouth for 3 minutes. 3. Cotton swabs wrapped around a metal probe was placed on palatine tonsils and lateral walls of the oropharynx. 4. Instead of a cotton swab, a disc of laboratory filter paper with a diameter of 0.7 cm was used. 5. Scrape by the mucous membrane of the palatine tonsils and lateral walls of the oropharynx were made with a cytobrush. 6. Using a cytobrush, scrapings were made from the mucous membrane of only the posterior pharyngeal wall, excluding the region of the palatine tonsils. 7. Using a cytobrush to make scrapings from the only palatine tonsils mucous membrane. RT-PCR was used to determine IL-1β mRNA.

RESULTS

Minimal IL-1β mRNA values were detected in saliva collected by passive flow (0.095 [0; 3.45] units) and on a cotton swab (0.21 [0.1; 3.82] units). IL-1β mRNA in the material collected by methods No. 3 and No. 4 on a cotton swab and a paper disk did not differ significantly from each other. Its level was higher than in saliva and lower than in scrapings. The maximum result was revealed with method No. 5 when simultaneously taking scrapings from the palatine tonsils and posterior pharyngeal wall mucous membrane (4.76 [0.92; 8.13] units). The expression of IL-1β mRNA in the material obtained by methods No. 6 and No. 7 did not differ significantly from each other.

CONCLUSION

Separated scrapings collecting from the palatine tonsils or posterior pharyngeal wall mucous membrane will allow assessing the inflammatory response autonomously in the lymphoid tissue and separately on the mucosa of the posterior pharyngeal wall. The mucosal scraping technique was the most effective for assessing cytokines in the oropharyngeal mucosal membrane.