Prevalence of Respiratory Viral Infections in Children with Asthma in Kermanshah

Abstract

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of lung airways, affecting about 300 million people worldwide. Several risk factors are involved in asthma development, such as environmental allergens, genetic susceptibility, and respiratory viral infections. Viral infections induce NF-kB and inflammatory pathways that lead to the production of cytokines, chemokines, and inflammatory proteins and, finally, a reduction of lung volume and function. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate viral infections’ prevalence in children with asthma from 2016 to 2017. Methods: One hundred throat swab samples were collected from asthmatic children. Extraction of RNA and cDNA synthesis were performed to recognize parainfluenza viruses, rhinoviruses, influenza viruses, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) using real-time PCR. Also, the associations of age, sex, and other studied factors with asthmatic attacks were evaluated. Results: In this study, 41 viruses were detected, including 21 cases of rhinoviruses (51.22%), 10 cases of parainfluenza (24.39%), seven cases of respiratory syncytial virus (17.07%), and three cases of the influenza virus (7.32%). Regarding seasonal incidence, the prevalence of the viruses was high in autumn and winter, and there was a significant relationship between seasonal incidence and gender. However, there were no statistically significant relationships between the prevalence of the viruses and age or gender. Conclusions: The most important viral causes of childhood asthma in this study were found to be rhinoviruses, followed by parainfluenza. The lowest prevalence was related to the RSV and influenza virus, which the two viruses also showed the lowest seasonal outbreaks. Therefore, it can be said that with an increase in the seasonal incidence of respiratory viruses, the effects of these viruses will be greater on asthma.