Abstract
Respiratory virus-induced asthma exacerbations occur frequently during pregnancy and are associated with adverse outcomes for mother and child. Primary nasal epithelial cells (pNECs) provide a useful method to study immune responses in pregnancy. pNECs were obtained by nasal brushings from pregnant and non-pregnant women with and without asthma. pNECS were infected in vitro with major group Rhinovirus 43 (RV43) and seasonal influenza (H3N2). Following infection, pNECs showed measurable quantities of interferon (IFN)-λ, IL-1β, IL-8, IP-10 and MIP1-α. pNECs provide a safe and effective method for studying respiratory epithelial cell responses during pregnancy.
Highlights
Asthma is a common comorbidity during pregnancy and asthma exacerbations during pregnancy are frequently caused by respiratory virus infections, such as rhinovirus and influenza virus [1]
Since the nasal epithelium is the primary portal for viral entry and immediate replication, and acts as a physical barrier, but actively prevents airway damage by inducing its own unique immune responses [13], studying the responses of these nasal cells during pregnancy would be useful
We show for the first time that Primary nasal epithelial cells (pNECs) from pregnant women with and without asthma can be obtained by nasal brushings, cultured and infected with respiratory viruses, and show measurable levels of both inflammatory and antiviral cytokines and chemokines
Summary
Asthma is a common comorbidity during pregnancy and asthma exacerbations during pregnancy are frequently caused by respiratory virus infections, such as rhinovirus and influenza virus [1]. This was observed in a prospective study where 71% of pregnant asthmatic women experienced a probable cold compared to 46% of pregnant non-asthmatic women. The influenza virus frequently cause severe illness in ‘high risk groups’ including asthmatics and pregnant women. For example in one study, which included 6, 277,508 hospitalised pregnant women over four influenza seasons [2], it was observed that for every 1000 pregnant women hospitalised, 3.4 [95% CI 3.3–3.6] had a respiratory illness. Bronchial epithelial cells and blood cells isolated from asthmatics display attenuated antiviral and heightened inflammatory immune responses following in vitro infection with respiratory viruses, which positively correlate with worsened clinical symptoms in these patients [3, 4]
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