Enhanced Neutralizing Antibody Responses to Rhinovirus C and Age-Dependent Patterns of Infection

Abstract

Rationale: Rhinovirus (RV) C can cause asymptomatic infection and respiratory illnesses ranging from the common cold to severe wheezing.Objectives: To identify how age and other individual-level factors are associated with susceptibility to RV-C illnesses.Methods: Longitudinal data from the COAST (Childhood Origins of Asthma) birth cohort study were analyzed to determine relationships between age and RV-C infections. Neutralizing antibodies specific for RV-A and RV-C (three types each) were determined using a novel PCR-based assay. Data were pooled from 14 study cohorts in the United States, Finland, and Australia, and mixed-effects logistic regression was used to identify factors related to the proportion of RV-C versus RV-A detection.Measurements and Main Results: In COAST, RV-A and RV-C infections were similarly common in infancy, whereas RV-C was detected much less often than RV-A during both respiratory illnesses and scheduled surveillance visits (P , 0.001, x 2 ) in older children. The prevalence of neutralizing antibodies to RV-A or RV-C types was low (5-27%) at the age of 2 years, but by the age of 16 years, RV-C seropositivity was more prevalent (78% vs. 18% for RV-A; P , 0.0001). In the pooled analysis, the RV-C to RV-A detection ratio during illnesses was significantly related to age (P , 0.0001), CDHR3 genotype (P , 0.05), and wheezing illnesses (P , 0.05). Furthermore, certain RV types (e.g., C2, C11, A78, and A12) were consistently more virulent and prevalent over time.Conclusions: Knowledge of prevalent RV types, antibody responses, and populations at risk based on age and genetics may guide the development of vaccines or other novel therapies against this important respiratory pathogen.

Rhinovirus Infections and Their Roles in Asthma: Etiology and Exacerbations

“…RV-A and RV-C species viruses are more commonly associated with significant illnesses and wheezing compared with RV-B species viruses. 17 RV-B infections generally cause either mild symptoms or are asymptomatic but can contribute to exacerbations in patients with more severe or unstable asthma. 17,18 The increased virulence of the A and C species may be related to faster rates of viral replication and eliciting greater inflammatory responses compared with the RV-B spcies.…”

“…17 RV-B infections generally cause either mild symptoms or are asymptomatic but can contribute to exacerbations in patients with more severe or unstable asthma. 17,18 The increased virulence of the A and C species may be related to faster rates of viral replication and eliciting greater inflammatory responses compared with the RV-B spcies. 19 A pooled analysis of RV epidemiology from multiple studies suggests that there may be certain RV types that are consistently more common and that virulence may vary by type even within species.…”

Understanding Rhinovirus Circulation and Impact on Illness

“…While symptoms are unable to discriminate between RV species, there is increasing evidence suggesting that RV-A and RV-C are not only more prevalent, but also more frequently associated with severe disease. In contrast RV-B is more frequently detected in asymptomatic subjects [31,[33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]. The capacity of a virus to replicate to a higher level is a potential determinant of pathogenicity.…”

Human Rhinoviruses Prevailed Among Children in the Setting of Wearing Face Masks in Shanghai, 2020

“…similarly common in infants, whereas HRV-Cs being detected less often than HRV-As in adolescents [10].…”