Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Jun;21(6):745-760.
doi: 10.1080/1744666X.2025.2494658. Epub 2025 May 2.

Host immune response to respiratory syncytial virus infection and its contribution to protection and susceptibility in adults: a systematic literature review

Agnes Chaumont  1 , Alison Martin  2 , Johan Flamaing  3   4 , Dexter J Wiseman  5   6 , Corinne Vandermeulen  7 , Erik Jongert  7 , Timothy Mark Doherty  7 , Philippe Buchy  8 , Steven M Varga  9 , Lucile Warter  10
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Host immune response to respiratory syncytial virus infection and its contribution to protection and susceptibility in adults: a systematic literature review

Agnes Chaumont et al. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2025 Jun.
Free article

Abstract

Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important pathogen in infants, children, older adults, and those with comorbidities. Mechanisms involving viral proteins appear to underlie the ability of RSV to evade and modulate host immunity. We aimed to understand virus- and host-dependent factors regulating the development and severity of RSV infection, as related to the prevention and treatment of RSV-associated disease in adults, through a systematic literature review (SLR).

Methods: An SLR was conducted to identify immune mechanisms involved in the protective response to RSV infection in adults, and responses that may contribute to the development of severe disease. Concurrent searches (MEDLINE/Embase) using embase.com identified relevant papers published between 1990 and 19 April 2023.

Results: Of 1813 records identified, 113 were selected for review. Inclusion criteria were based on relevant patient populations, outcomes, and study methodologies. RSV is common, recurrent, and associated with high morbidity and mortality in older adults and people with underlying chronic diseases. Immune responses differ between younger and older adults. The approval of effective vaccines may protect older individuals from symptomatic RSV infection.

Conclusions: We established the complexities of RSV immune response, but further research is required to fully understand anti-RSV immunology.

Keywords: Adaptive immunity; RSV; cellular immune response; humoral immune response; intrinsic immunity; respiratory syncytial virus; vaccine.

Plain language summary

The authors of this article wanted to understand how the immune system protects adults from a virus called respiratory syncytial virus. This virus, also known as RSV, is important worldwide. Most children have been exposed to RSV at least once by 2 or 3 years of age, and infections happen again throughout life. RSV spreads through the air and by picking up virus particles from surfaces or other people. RSV usually causes mild cold-like symptoms, but some people have a higher chance of getting severe symptoms; this includes babies, older adults, and people with certain underlying medical conditions. Older adults with severe symptoms may need to stay in hospital, and estimates suggest about seven in every 100 older adults who are hospitalized with RSV die. In this study, we searched for medical articles that contained information about how the immune system in adults responds to RSV infection. This included how the immune system protects people from infection, how the virus bypasses immune responses, and what happens when symptoms become severe. Several parts of the immune system help to protect against RSV in adults, including parts that respond to any virus and parts that learn to recognize RSV. There are important differences in how the immune system responds to RSV infection in younger and older adults, particularly in the parts that specifically recognize RSV. Some of these differences are related to aging. Vaccines may help protect older people from symptomatic RSV disease and more research is needed in this area.Protocol registration: CRD42021293278.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources