Human Rhinovirus Group C Infection in Children with Lower Respiratory Tract Infection

摘要

To the Editor: Human rhinovi-ruses (HRVs), members of the family Picornaviridae, were fi rst isolated in 1956 (1); to date, >100 serotypes have been identifi ed on the basis of nucle-otide sequence homologies. HRVs were previously divided into 2 genetic groups, HRV-A (n = 75) and HRV-B (n = 25). Recently, a putative new and distinct rhinovirus group, HRV-C, has been reportedly found in some patients with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) (2–8). To extend these initial fi ndings and assess the pathogenicity of HRV-C, we investigated its prevalence as well as its clinical and molecular features in children with lower acute RTIs in Beijing, People's Republic of China.From July through December 2007, nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from 258 children (167 boys and 91 girls) who had lower acute RTIs at the time of their admission to Beijing Children's Hospital. The children were 1 month to 15 years of age (mean age 37 months, median age 10 months). Nucleic acids were extracted from clinical samples by us-ing the NucliSens easyMAG platform (bioMérieux SA, Marcy L'Etoile, France). Each specimen was tested for the presence of common respiratory viruses: human parain. uenza viruses 1–4, in. uenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, enteroviruses, human coronaviruses (229E, NL63, HKU1, and OC43), metapneumovirus, adeno-viruses, and bocaviruses. To study the prevalence of HRV-C, we designed a specifi c reverse transcription–PCR (RT-PCR) that generated a 330-bp PCR product encompassing a portion of the 5′-untranslated region, the full virus capsid protein (VP) 4 gene, and a portion of the VP2 gene of the HRV-C genome. (All primer sequences and protocols of these assays are available from J.W. upon request.)