Significance of detection of different types human rhinovirus in pediatric intensive care unit

Abstract

Objective To discuss the significance of different types of human rhinovirus (HRV) as pathogen and the clinical features of different types of HRV in pediatric intensive care unit(PICU). Methods Eight hundred and fifty-two nasopharyngeal aspirates specimen (NPA) were collected from children who were admitted to PICU, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College from November 2010 to October 2015 and were tested by using nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). Gene fragments for VP4/VP2 capsid protein amplified from HRV positive specimens were sequenced for HRV genotype confirmation.Then clinical characte-ristics of these HRV positive cases were analyzed. Results Among these 852 specimens tested, 214(25.12%) were HRV positive, including 95 samples(44.39%)positive for HRV-A, 17 samples(7.94%)for HRV-B, and 55 samples(25.70%)for HRV-C determined by sequence analysis; while the species of 47 samples (21.96%) of the total were unclassified clearly.HRV-A, HRV-B, HRV-C co-infection with other respiratory viruses accounted for 33.68%(32/95 cases), 29.41%(5/17 cases), and 29.09%(16/55 cases), respectively.The clinical characteristics of children infected with HRV-A, HRV-B, HRV-C were similar, and wheezing and polypnea were more common with HRV-C infections than HRV-A and HRV-B infections.The severity among children positive for different groups HRV showed no significant difference(H=0.631, P>0.05), as well as that between children co-infected with HRV and other viruses and those infected with HRV only(H=0.886, P>0.05). Conclusions Different types of HRV were major causes of infectious disease in pediatric critical disease.The clinical characteristics of children infected with HRV-A, HRV-B, HRV-C were similar.Wheezing and polypnea were more common with HRV-C infections than HRV-A and HRV-B infections. Key words: Rhinovirus; Genotype; Child; Intensive care