Nasosorption As A Minimally Invasive Sampling Procedure: Mucosal Viral Load And Inflammation In Primary Rsv Bronchiolitis

Background. Existing respiratory mucosal sampling methods are flawed, particularly in a pediatric bronchiolitis setting.Methods. Twenty-four infants with bronchiolitis were recruited: 12 were respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-positive, 12 were RSV-negative. Infants were sampled by nasosorption and nasopharyngeal aspiration (NPA).Results. Nasosorption was well tolerated and identified all RSV+ samples. RSV load measured by nasosorption (but not NPA) correlated with length of hospital stay (P =.04) and requirement for mechanical ventilation (P =.03). Nasosorption (but not NPA) levels of interferon., interleukin 1 beta, CCL5/RANTES, and interleukin 10 (IL-10) were elevated in RSV+ bronchiolitis (all P < .05), furthermore CCL5 and IL-10 correlated with RSV load (P < .05).Conclusions. Nasosorption allowed measurement of RSV load and the mucosal inflammatory response in infants.