Sammendrag
Background: Acute bronchiolitis during infancy and human rhinovirus (HRV) lower respiratory tract
infections increases the risk of asthma in atopic children. We aimed to explore whether specific viruses,
allergic sensitisation or cortisol levels during acute bronchiolitis in infancy increase the risk of early
asthma, using recurrent wheeze as a proxy.
Methods: In 294 children with a mean (range) age of 4.2 (0–12) months enrolled during hospitalisation
for acute infant bronchiolitis, we analysed virus in nasopharyngeal aspirates, serum specific
immunoglobulin E against food and inhalant allergens, and salivary morning cortisol. These factors were
assessed by regression analyses, adjusted for age, sex and parental atopy, for risk of recurrent wheeze,
defined as a minimum of three parentally reported episodes of wheeze at the 2-year follow-up
investigation.
Results: At 2 years, children with, compared to without, recurrent wheeze had similar rates of respiratory
syncytial virus (RSV) (82.9% versus 81.8%) and HRV (34.9% versus 35.0%) at the acute bronchiolitis,
respectively. During infancy, 6.9% of children with and 9.2% of children without recurrent wheeze at 2 years
were sensitised to at least one allergen (p=0.5). Neither recurrent wheeze nor incidence rate ratios for the
number of wheeze episodes at 2 years were significantly associated with specific viruses, high viral load of
RSV or HRV, allergic sensitisation, or morning salivary cortisol level during acute bronchiolitis in infancy.
Conclusion: In children hospitalised with acute infant bronchiolitis, specific viruses, viral load, allergic
sensitisation and salivary morning cortisol did not increase the risk of early asthma by 2 years of age.
Vis fullstendig beskrivelse
