TY - JOUR T1 - The role of maternal obesity in susceptibility to respiratory viral infection and exacerbation rate in pregnant women with asthma JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 44 IS - Suppl 58 SP - 224 AU - Vanessa Murphy AU - Heather Powell AU - Peter Gibson Y1 - 2014/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/224.abstract N2 - Obesity may be a risk factor for exacerbations of asthma, but the mechanisms of this effect in pregnancy are unknown.The aim was to determine the influence of body mass index (BMI) on the risk of asthma exacerbations during pregnancy, and investigate the role of respiratory viral infection.Women with asthma (n=164) participated in a prospective study of viral infection and asthma exacerbations during pregnancy. BMI recorded at baseline (17 weeks) was categorised as healthy weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9) or obese (>30). Exacerbations requiring medical intervention were recorded. Asthma control (ACQ7), medication use, exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), lung function and common colds were assessed monthly. Additional visits were attended during colds and exacerbations. Nasal and throat swabs were collected during suspected infections and viruses determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Overweight or obese women had a higher prevalence of exacerbations during pregnancy (49.5%) than healthy weight women (25%, P=0.007). ACQ during exacerbation was higher in overweight/obese women (median 2.14) than in healthy weight women (1.69, P=0.025). FENO during first exacerbation 13.4 (median, IQR 8.2, 39.2) in the healthy weight group (n=8), 19.9 (9.5, 34.1) in the overweight group (n=22) and 8.8 (6, 20) in the obese group (n=27, P=0.1083). Overweight/obese women were more likely to have exacerbations associated with PCR positive respiratory viral infections (24.7%) than healthy weight women (8.3%, P=0.284).Being overweight/obese confers a greater risk of asthma exacerbation during pregnancy, and may be due to increased susceptibility to viral infection. ER -