Differential production of inflammatory cytokines in primary infection with human metapneumovirus and with other common respiratory viruses of infancy.

Viral respiratory infections are the most frequent cause of hospital admission for infants and young children during winter. However, the mechanisms of illness that are associated with viral lower-respiratory-tract infection (LRI) are unclear. A widely accepted hypothesis attributes the pathogenesis of viral LRI in infants to the induction of innate inflammatory responses. This theory is supported by studies showing that Toll-like receptor 4 is activated by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), leading to production of inflammatory cytokines. We prospectively examined previously naive infants in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who had either upper- or lower-respiratory-tract symptoms. Infection with human metapneumovirus (hMPV) was second only to RSV in frequency. Both viruses were associated with rhinorrhea, cough, and wheezing; however, hMPV elicited significantly lower levels of respiratory inflammatory cytokines than did RSV. Symptoms in infants infected with influenza virus were different from those in infants infected with RSV, but cytokine responses were similar. These findings suggest that hMPV and RSV either cause disease via different mechanisms or share a common mechanism that is distinct from innate immune activation.

Estudio de indicadores de salud en niños de escuelas ubicadas en areas de distinto nivel socio-economico / Study of health indicators in school children in areas of different socio-economic level

Se analizaron 579 niños que cursaban 1º, 4º y 7º grado en cuatro escuelas publicas del Partido de San Isidro, de nivel socio-economico medio y bajo. Se identificaron y cuantificaron alteraciones antropometricas y clinicas, problemas de aprendizaje y de conducta y la cantidad de niños provenientes de familias de riesgo