The role of the neutrophil in RSV Bronchiolitis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the role of Neutrophils in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis.
IRAS ID
247504
Contact name
Elisabeth J Robinson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Great Ormond Street NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 29 days
Research summary
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory infections in infants, with almost all children having been infected by the age of 2. Most children exhibit a mild flu-like infection and recover, however a proportion of these children develop severe inflammation of the lung (bronchiolitis), which can lead to breathlessness, hospitalisation or death. Around half of children with severe RSV bronchiolitis have no predictive risk factors for severe disease. Children who suffer severe RSV bronchiolitis are likely to develop asthma in later childhood.
The first line of defence against RSV infection is the innate immune system. A type of white blood cell, the neutrophil, is found in large numbers in the airways of children with severe RSV disease. It is not known whether this influx of neutrophils into the airway has a protective or detrimental effect.
It is our aim to examine the neutrophils from children with severe RSV bronchiolitis, the infected lung environment and the causative virus to further understand this interaction.
This will enable us to see how neutrophils behaviours change in response to RSV and if this relates to the lung chemical environment and clinical severity. If we can identify a difference in neutrophil behaviour in more severe disease we can use this, to determine a genetic tendency to severe disease and as a target to develop novel therapeutics.
In addition, our research group have developed an in-vitro model for investigating neutrophil migration through the ciliated epithelium during RSV infection. We would like to compare our findings in vitro with samples from real patients, to evaluate its validity and hopefully allow it to be used to evaluate future hypotheses.REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/1592
Date of REC Opinion
8 Oct 2018
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion