PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jorge De Alba
AU  - Elena Calama
AU  - Raquel Otal
AU  - Félix Gil
AU  - Montserrat Miralpeix
TI  - Influenza but not rhinovirus viral strain causes exacerbation of a house dust mite driven severe asthma mouse model
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P2469
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P2469.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P2469.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - RATIONALE: Viruses are known to exacerbate asthma and other respiratory diseases. Our objective was to compare the ability of influenza and rhinovirus viral strains to exacerbate a model of allergic inflammation driven by house dust mite (HDM) in Freund's Complete Adjuvant (FCA). This model mimics certain aspects of severe asthma (1). METHODS: BALB/c mice were sensitized on day 0 with HDM as previously described (1). On day 14, mice were exposed intranasally (i.n.)to saline or HDM. RV or Influenza strains were administered i.n. 0hrs or 72hrs respectively before HDM challenge. 24hrs post-challenge, non-invasive whole-body plethysmography was used to assess AHR to aerosolised methacholine (MCh). 48hrs after HDM challenge, the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected to measure inflammatory cells. RESULTS: Influenza, but not rhinovirus, strain exacerbated BALF neutrophils and macrophages in the HDM challenged animals (table 1). Influenza also significantly exacerbated the AHR associated with MCh challenge. View this table: Table 1.Cells/ml in BALF 48hrs after HDM challenge CONCLUSIONS: Influenza, but not rhinovirus, exacerbates the inflammation and AHR in our model of allergic inflammation. This model could be used to investigate new mechanisms of action underlying viral exacerbation in severe asthma and for evaluation of novel therapies for such condition. (1) Nasra J. et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 181;2010:A2842.