Comparison of cytokine expression profiles in infants with a rhinovirus induced lower respiratory tract infection with or without wheezing: a comparison with respiratory syncytial virus

Roh, Da Eun; Park, Sook-Hyun; Choi, Hee Joung; Kim, Yeo Hyang

They concluded that innate IFNs take the antiviral and anti-inflammatory immune response in normal subjects with viral infection, and IL-10 is secreted simultaneously and may induce regulatory T cells and control inflammation 19) . In the present study, IFN-γ and IL-10 levels had a significant relation to wheezing in RV-induced LRTI. Previous study in murine models showed the relation between IL-12 and IFN-γ in virus infection 25) . In addition, previous studies also reported that the role of Th2-type cytokines (IL-4 and IL-5), IL-2 and IL-12 in RV infections were less pronounced. These studies presented that Th2-type cytokines may reflect a chronic inflammation of lower respiratory tract and a susceptibility to more severe RV-infections 26, 27) . Some studies compared the differences of cytokines between RV and RSV and they concluded that the RV infection had markedly higher systemic levels of IL-5 and IL-13 than RSV infection when there was a close correlation between RV infections and atopic characteristics 5, 28) . Unlike previous studies, we could not find any significant differences of Th2-type cytokines, IL-12 and IL-13 between RV and RSV infections. These results may be related that enrolled patients were very young and did not show definite atopic characteristics from their past history.