Discovered the mechanism of respiratory disease in children

American scientists at the University of Texas have just identified the mechanism that causes one of the most dangerous and common infections in children, which is respiratory diseases.

The results of this study were published in the March issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Illustration: Internet

By analyzing blood samples from infants infected with respiratory infections and data from experiments in mice, scientists determined that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) interferes with the ability of respiratory cells to produce enzymes that help control reactive oxygen species.

RSV interferes with this process by preventing the activation of a single protein that is responsible for the activity of detoxification enzymes. Reactive oxygen species then accumulate, causing oxidative stress and inflammation in otherwise unaffected airway cells.

Dr Antonella Casola said the role of oxidative stress has been mentioned in previous studies, but this is the first study to link lung inflammation to viral infection.

Previously, American scientists at the National Jewish Health Center in Denver also discovered a lipid compound POPG that naturally occurs in the mucus of the alveoli of human lungs. Scientists tested the effects of POPG on human lung cells and mice infected with RSV.

The results showed that cells protected by POPG before exposure to the virus were less susceptible to infection, and less inflammatory cells were found to enter the lungs. This finding could also open new directions for preventing and treating RSV infection.

Respiratory syncytial virus is a dormant virus that, like HIV and the viruses that cause liver disease, lurks and waits for an opportunity to strike again. Respiratory syncytial virus is quite common, with most children infected in their first year. About 40% of children who develop bronchiolitis may have a recurrence, and more than a third may develop asthma.

According to Vietnam+