ACTIVATION AND MUCOSAL MIGRATION OF POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES (PMN) DURING RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV) INFECTION

Abstract

The distribution and functional role of PMN during acute infection with RSV was evaluated by characterizing the inflammatory process in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) and by determining oxidative metabolic activity of peripheral blood (PB) PMN in children with RSV-induced lower respiratory tract illness. PMN comprised > 70% of the cells in the NPS during active shedding of RSV. A similar cellular response was observed in secretions from the lower respiratory tract of other RSV-infected children who required tracheal intubation. The proportion of PMN (42%) in the PB was significantly lower than the proportion of PMN in the NPS of the same subjects. PMN collected from the PB of infected children manifested significant elevations of oxidative metabolism as evidenced by increased generation of resting chemiluminescence. Subsequent challenge of the PMN with opsonized zymosan failed to induce adequate chemiluminescence in the RSV-infected subjects. These data demonstrate in vivo activation of the oxidative metabolic pathway in PMN after RSV infection. Contrary to the popular notion, it is suggested that PMN constitute the predominent element of the cellular response at the mucosal site of disease following RSV infection. These observations indicate that the migration of PMN to the site of RSV replication and their interactions in the respiratory mucosa may have a role in the pathogenesis of RSV disease.

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