Severe pediatric RSV cases linked to changes in NK cells

Sick baby boy rest on patients bed and has inhalation therapy by the mask of inhaler.

Clinician-scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital recently analyzed pediatric blood and airway samples to better understand why some children develop severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) while others only have mild symptoms. The researchers discovered that children who had severe cases of RSV showed elevated levels of natural killer (NK) cells in their airways and decreased levels of NK cells in their blood. The team’s full analysis was recently published in Science Translational Medicine.

“NK cells are important first responders during viral infection — but they can also contribute to lung inflammation,” said corresponding author Melody G. Duvall, MD, PhD, in a news release. 

Dr. Duvall and her colleagues assessed samples from 47 children who were critically ill with RSV. They compared the data to those of uninfected children to find the difference in NK cells in their airways and peripheral blood. The data also revealed that the cells themselves were altered in appearance as well as their ability to perform their immunological function of killing deceased cells. 

The study built on results from prior research on similar topics. 

“Interestingly, our findings fit with data from some studies in COVID-19, which reported that patients with the most severe symptoms also had increased NK cells in their airways,” Dr. Duvall said. “Together with previous studies, our data link NK cells with serious viral illness, suggesting that these cellular pathways merit additional investigation.”

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