Respiratory syncytial virus infection of human airway epithelial cells causes production of the [beta]- chemokine rantes. Becker, Susanne, William Reed, Fredrick W. Henderson, and Terry L. Noah. Health Effects Research Laboratory, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park NC 27711, Center for Environmental Medicine and Lung Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
APStracts 3:0189L, 1996.
Infection of airway epithelial cells with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) results in the production of a restricted number of cytokines, which may modulate the inflammatory response to infection. To get a better understanding of epithelial cell-mediated inflammatory processes in RSV disease, the aim of the present study was identify the production of mononuclear cell/eosinophil/mast cell inflammatory chemokines (MCP-1, MCP-3, MIP-1[alpha], RANTES) during productive RSV infection in airway epithelial cells. Normal human primary bronchial epithelial cell cultures (HNBE), nasal epithelial cell explants, and the BEAS-2B airway epithelial cell line were inoculated with RSV and chemokine induction was assessed during the phase of logarithmic increase in infectious virus production. Only RANTES was found to increase in epithelial cell cultures in an infection dependent manner. Furthermore, RANTES was released only by RSV-producing cells. To determine whether RANTES was induced by RSV infection in vivo, RANTES was measured in nasal lavage fluids (NLF) from children with RSV positive and RSV negative upper respiratory infection, and when well. RANTES was significantly increased during RSV infection (128 +/- 38 pg/ml NFL) compared to non-RSV infection (42 +/- 12 pg/ml NFL) and to asymptomatic baseline (13 +/- 4 ng/ml NFL) in the same children. Since RANTES is an effective eosinophil and memory T cell chemoattractant and activator, and eosinophil-dominated inflammation is a hallmark of asthmatic airways, RANTES may play a role in the pathogenesis of RSV-induced exacerbations of airway reactivity and wheezing. 

Received 8 May 1996; accepted in final form 23 October 1996.
APS Manuscript Number L136-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Lung Cell. Mol.
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 13 November 1996