Decreased lung function after preschool wheezing rhinovirus illnesses in children at risk to develop asthma

Theresa W. Guilbert, Anne Marie Singh, Zoran Danov, Michael D. Evans, Daniel J. Jackson, Ryan Burton, Kathy A. Roberg, Elizabeth L. Anderson, Tressa E. Pappas, Ronald Gangnon, James E. Gern, Robert F. Lemanske

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

110 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Preschool rhinovirus (RV) wheezing illnesses predict an increased risk of childhood asthma; however, it is not clear how specific viral illnesses in early life relate to lung function later on in childhood. Objective: To determine the relationship of virus-specific wheezing illnesses and lung function in a longitudinal cohort of children at risk for asthma. Methods: Two hundred thirty-eight children were followed prospectively from birth to 8 years of age. Early life viral wheezing respiratory illnesses were assessed by using standard techniques, and lung function was assessed annually by using spirometry and impulse oscillometry. The relationships of these virus-specific wheezing illnesses and lung function were assessed by using mixed-effect linear regression. Results: Children with RV wheezing illness demonstrated significantly decreased spirometry values, FEV1 (P =.001), FEV0.5 (P <.001), FEF25-75 (P <.001), and also had abnormal impulse oscillometry measures - more negative reactance at 5 Hz (P <.001) - compared with those who did not wheeze with RV. Children who wheezed with respiratory syncytial virus or other viral illnesses did not have any significant differences in spirometric or impulse oscillometry indices when compared with children who did not. Children diagnosed with asthma at ages 6 or 8 years had significantly decreased FEF25-75 (P =.05) compared with children without asthma. Conclusion: Among outpatient viral wheezing illnesses in early childhood, those caused by RV infections are the most significant predictors of decreased lung function up to age 8 years in a high-risk birth cohort. Whether low lung function is a cause and/or effect of RV wheezing illnesses is yet to be determined.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)532-538.e10
JournalJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume128
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2011
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants R01 HL61879, P01 HL70831, and M01 RR03186 .

Keywords

  • Rhinovirus
  • asthma
  • impulse oscillometry
  • respiratory syncytial virus
  • spirometry
  • wheezing

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Decreased lung function after preschool wheezing rhinovirus illnesses in children at risk to develop asthma'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this