BMJ 1995;311:629-630 (2 September)

Letters

Allergy must also be a factor

EDITOR,--Sebastian L Johnston and colleagues from Southampton report impressive data supporting an association between viral infections (predominantly rhinoviruses) and exacerbations of asthma among children of school age.1 The association they observed was so strong that it is not surprising that they imply that there could be a causal relation between viral infection and exacerbations of asthma. They recognise that the argument that rhinoviruses could cause exacerbations of asthma is not new. They do not, however, mention that there have been multiple unsuccessful attempts in the past to show experimentally that these viruses can induce attacks of asthma (D A Tyrrel, W Busse, C Reed, J Gwaltney; separate personal communications). Indeed, the only model in which rhinovirus has been consistently shown to produce features of asthma in the lung is one combining viral infection with allergen challenge.2 3

Johnston and colleagues do not state which of the children were allergic at the . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Community study of role of viral infections in exacerbations of asthma in 9-11 year old children
Sebastian L Johnston, Philip K Pattemore, Gwendolyn Sanderson, Sandra Smith, Fiona Lampe, Lynn Josephs, Penny Symington, Susan O'Toole, Steven H Myint, David A J Tyrrell, and Stephen T Holgate
BMJ 1995 310: 1225-1229. [Abstract] [Full Text]

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