Inside RSV: Researchers pinpoint markers of more severe cases Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains the top cause of hospitalization among young children, leading to respiratory issues like bronchiolitis and pneumonia. However, the reasons why some children ... Brigham and Women’s Hospital Medical Xpress

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains the top cause of hospitalization among young children, leading to respiratory issues like bronchiolitis and pneumonia. However, the reasons why some children experience only mild symptoms while others suffer from severe disease are not well understood.

To better understand what happens in these cases, clinician-scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, and Boston Children's Hospital analyzed samples from patients' airways and blood, finding distinct changes in children with severe cases of RSV, including an increase in the number of natural killer (NK) cells in their airways.

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