Virus and cystic fibrosis: Rhinoviruses are associated with exacerbations in adult patients

Anne Goffard (1, 2) , Valérie Lambert (2) , Julia Salleron (3) , Stéphanie Herwegh (2) , Ilka Engelmann (2) , Claudine Pinel (4) , Isabelle Pin (4) , Thierry Perrez (2) , Anne Prévotat (5) , Anny Dewilde (2) , Laurence Delhaes (2, 1)

1 CIIL - Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille - INSERM U 1019 - UMR 9017 - UMR 8204
2 CHRU Lille - Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire [CHU Lille]
3 UNICANCER/ICL - Institut de Cancérologie de Lorraine - Alexis Vautrin [Nancy]
4 CHUGA - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire [CHU Grenoble]
5 Hôpital Albert Calmette

BackgroundFew studies have suggested the potential role of respiratory viruses in cystic fibrosis (CF) exacerbation, but their real impact is probably underestimated.MethodSixty-four sputum samples collected from 46 adult patients were included in the study: 33 samples were collected during exacerbation of CF, and 31 during the stable phase. After extraction, nucleic acids were tested for the presence of respiratory viruses. When rhinovirus (HRV) was detected, the 5′UTR and VP4/2 regions were sequenced, and phylogenetically analyzed. The characteristics of patients in exacerbation and stable phase were compared.ResultsViruses were found in 25% of samples. The HRV viruses were the most frequently detected followed by coronaviruses. Only the HRV detection was significantly associated with the occurrence of CF pulmonary exacerbation (p < 0.027). Characterization of 5′UTR and VP4/2 regions of the HRV genome specified that HRV-A, -B, -C were detected. All HRV-C were recombinant HRV-Ca.ConclusionsHRV were the most frequently detected viruses; their detection was significantly associated with the occurrence of an exacerbation. The reality of viral recombination between HRV was demonstrated in CF patients for the first time, raising the role of viruses in lung microbiota. Further studies are now warranted to decipher virus impact in CF

Mots clés: PCR; Pulmonary exacerbation; Rhinovirus; Cystic fibrosis

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]; Virologie; Médecine humaine et pathologie; Maladies infectieuses

Anne Goffard, Valérie Lambert, Julia Salleron, Stéphanie Herwegh, Ilka Engelmann, et al.. Virus and cystic fibrosis: Rhinoviruses are associated with exacerbations in adult patients. Journal of Clinical Virology, 2014, 60 (2), pp.147-153. ⟨10.1016/j.jcv.2014.02.005⟩. ⟨hal-02266763⟩