Rhinovirus bronchiolitis and recurrent wheezing: 1-year follow-up

• Published in: The European respiratory journal Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 396 - 402
• Main Authors: MIDULLA, F, PIERANGELI, A, CANGIANO, G, BONCI, E, SALVADEI, S, SCAGNOLARI, C, MORETTI, C, ANTONELLI, G, FERRO, V, PAPOFF, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Leeds Maney 01.02.2012
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Asthma; Asthma - epidemiology; Asthma - virology; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchiolitis - epidemiology; Bronchiolitis - virology; Bronchopneumonia; Child, Hospitalized - statistics & numerical data; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; Data processing; Demography; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Genetics; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Infection; Inventories; Male; Medical sciences; Multivariate analysis; Picornaviridae Infections - diagnosis; Picornaviridae Infections - epidemiology; Pneumology; Prospective Studies; Recurrence; Recurrent infection; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory Sounds - etiology; Rhinovirus; Rhinovirus - isolation & purification; Risk Factors; Viruses; Wheezing; Virus; Relapse; Respiratory disease; Picornaviridae; Follow up study; Bronchus disease; Wheezing; respiratory viruses; recurrent wheezing; Bronchiolitis; Pneumology; Rhinovirus
• ISSN: 0903-1936; 1399-3003
• DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00188210

The association between bronchiolitis and recurrent wheezing remains controversial. In this prospective study, we assessed risk factors for recurrent wheezing during a 12-month follow-up in 313 infants aged <12 months hospitalised for their first episode of bronchiolitis. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were obtained with a questionnaire and from medical files. A total of 14 respiratory viruses were concurrently assayed in nasal washings. Parents were interviewed 12 months after hospitalisation to check whether their infants experienced recurrent wheezing. The rate of recurrent wheezing was higher in infants with bronchiolitis than in controls (52.7 versus 10.3%; p<0.001). Multivariate analysis identified rhinovirus (RV) infection (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.0-11.1) followed by a positive family history for asthma (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-4.9) as major independent risk factors for recurrent wheezing. In conclusion, the virus most likely to be associated with recurrent wheezing at 12 months after initial bronchiolitis is RV, a viral agent that could predict infants prone to the development of recurrent wheezing.