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. 2005 Oct 1;192(7):1149-53.
doi: 10.1086/444392. Epub 2005 Aug 29.

Human metapneumovirus infection plays an etiologic role in acute asthma exacerbations requiring hospitalization in adults

John V Williams  1 , James E Crowe Jr, Rachel Enriquez, Patricia Minton, R Stokes Peebles Jr, Robert G Hamilton, Stanley Higgins, Marie Griffin, Tina V Hartert
Affiliations

Human metapneumovirus infection plays an etiologic role in acute asthma exacerbations requiring hospitalization in adults

John V Williams et al. J Infect Dis. .

Abstract

We determined the prevalence of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection in adults with asthma who were prospectively enrolled after hospitalization for an acute asthma exacerbation. Nasal wash specimens collected at admission and 3 months after discharge were tested for hMPV by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. hMPV was detected in 7 (6.9%) of 101 subjects at hospitalization and in 1 (1.3%) of 75 subjects at follow-up (odds ratio, 7 [95% confidence interval, 0.9-312]; P=.03). None of the patients with hMPV infection at hospitalization tested positive at follow-up, strongly suggesting that hMPV plays a direct etiologic role in acute asthma exacerbations.

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Conflict of interest statement

Potential conflicts of interest: J.V.W. received a one-time consulting fee from MedImmune in 2003, for attending a symposium on respiratory syncytial virus, and a one-time speaking fee from MedImmune, for speaking at the Third Annual North Carolina Congress on Respiratory Viruses (Greensboro, North Carolina). J.E.C. Jr. is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of MedImmune.

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