In Vivo Persistence of Human Rhinoviruses in Immunosuppressed Patients

PLoS One. 2017 Feb 2;12(2):e0170774. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170774. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Several species of the genus Enterovirus cause persistent infections in humans. Human rhinovirus (HRV) infections are generally self-limiting but occasionally persistent infections have been described. This study aimed to identify persistent HRV infections and investigate the clinical and virologic characteristics of patients with persistent infections. From January 2012 to March 2015, 3714 respiratory specimens from 2608 patients were tested for respiratory viruses by using a multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. A retrospective study was performed. Patients with at least two specimens positive for HRV/enterovirus taken 45 days or longer apart were identified and the HRV/enteroviruses were typed. Patients with persistent infection were compared to patients with reinfection and patients with cleared infection. Phylogenetic analysis of the viral protein(VP)4/VP2 region was performed. 18 patients with persistent HRV/enterovirus infection were identified. Minimum median duration of persistence was 92 days (range 50-455 days). All but one patients with persistence were immunosuppressed. Immunosuppression and hematologic disorders were more frequent in patients with persistence (n = 18) than in patients with reinfection (n = 33) and with cleared infection (n = 25) (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, this retrospective study identified HRV persistence in vivo which occurred mainly in immunosuppressed patients.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Enterovirus / genetics
  • Enterovirus / immunology
  • Enterovirus / isolation & purification
  • Enterovirus Infections / immunology
  • Enterovirus Infections / virology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunocompromised Host
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Typing
  • Phylogeny
  • Picornaviridae Infections / immunology*
  • Picornaviridae Infections / virology*
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • RNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / immunology*
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / virology*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Rhinovirus* / genetics
  • Rhinovirus* / immunology
  • Rhinovirus* / isolation & purification
  • Time Factors
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • RNA, Viral

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Ministère de l’Education Nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieure et de la Recherche, Université Lille 2 (Equipe d’accueil 3610) and Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire de Lille. The funding sources had no involvement in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.