The immune response to respiratory syncytial virus infection

Respiratory syncytial virus is the primary cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants and children by 2 years of age. Pathogenesis of the RSV- induced bronchopulmonary disease is related to wide spectrum of interactions between the pathogen itself, such as activation of specific components of the immune response by viral proteins with host - depending factors affecting the course of the disease. These comprise: child's age - young infants and neonates are particularly predisposed to the severe course of RSV infection, prematurity associated with distinctive anatomical and functional properties of the respiratory tract and immaturity of the immune response, as well as genetic factors governing the innate and adaptive immunity (functional polymorphism of proinflammatory and immunoregulatory cytokines and chemokines, polymorphism of HLA antigens inducing the immune response).