Specific increase in local IL-17 production during recovery from primary RSV bronchiolitis

Although Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis is the most important cause of hospital admission for infants during the winter season, the pathogenesis is largely unknown. Interleukin-17 (IL-17) concentrations were studied in nasopharyngeal aspirates from 21 non-ventilated and 17 ventilated infants admitted to hospital with RSV bronchiolitis at time of admission and discharge from the hospital. On admission, nasopharyngeal concentrations of most cytokines and chemokines were lower in non-ventilated infants than in ventilated infants, reaching statistical significance for Eotaxin, IL-1α, and IL-6. During course of disease, nasopharyngeal concentrations of most cytokines and chemokines decreased, reaching statistical significance for IL-6 and IP-10. However, nasopharyngeal IL-17 concentrations were higher at discharge than at admission in children with non-ventilated RSV disease (209-101pg/ml, P=0.008), a response pattern not observed in ventilated RSV patients nor for other cytokines or chemokines. It is speculated that local IL-17 production may be involved during convalescence from RSV bronchiolitis in non-ventilated patients by facilitating innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses. The role of IL-17 in the pathogenesis of RSV bronchiolitis is to be explored further.