In this year's call for proposals, the La Marató Foundation has funded 60 research teams in respiratory diseases thanks to the 10 million euros raised during La Marató de TV3. One of these projects is "Relationship between respiratory syncytial virus infection and recurrent wheezing in preschool children. Observational cohort study after the implementation of nirsevimab prophylaxis," led by Antonio Moreno Galdó of Vall d'Hebron Hospital, José María Martínez Sánchez of the University of Extremadura, and Laura Soler and Elena Quintana of the Jordi Gol Primary Health Care Research Institute (IDIAP Jordi Gol).
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections, known as bronchiolitis, in infants under two years of age. In September 2023, a monoclonal antibody against RSV infection, called nirsevimab, was introduced to prevent this virus in all infants and also in those under six months of age at the start of RSV season.
“Our hypothesis is that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prevention also prevents recurrent bronchitis and asthma in children in the short and medium term ,” emphasizes epidemiologist Martínez Sánchez , coordinator of the Health Determinants and Health Policy Assessment Group at the University of Extremadura (UEx) and professor at the University Center of Mérida . To assess whether administering nirsevimab also reduces the incidence of childhood respiratory illnesses, the research team will follow two populations of children from different primary care areas in Barcelona (with 1,754 participants in each) until they reach four years of age. One population consists of children under six months old who received the prevention in 2023, and the other of children born before nirsevimab prevention began.
The collaboration of the UEx researcher has allowed for the design of a retrospective cohort study and the inclusion of environmental pollution factors , as well as smoking , in the epidemiological study. “Since the antibody began to be administered in 2023, our idea was to include children who were not immunized with the antibody in 2022 in the follow-up. Using their medical records, we will be able to follow them until they turn four,” explains Martínez Sánchez. Furthermore, “we want to add other factors to the children's follow-up, such as outdoor air pollution and exposure to secondhand smoke in the home, which are also associated with respiratory illnesses.”
Passive tobacco exposure in children is a significant public health problem with a high impact on respiratory illnesses in the pediatric population. Furthermore, thirdhand smoke must also be considered when discussing passive tobacco exposure. Even if smokers don't smoke inside their homes, tobacco remains on their hands and clothing, and this exposure must also be taken into account when interacting with young children, who are more vulnerable to this type of tobacco exposure,” explains the UEx researcher.
The research will be the first to evaluate the impact of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prevention on reducing recurrent bronchitis and asthma. “Furthermore, we will be able to study the varying impact of prevention depending on passive tobacco exposure in homes. Therefore, a subsample will be analyzed using biomarkers,” announced the UEx researcher. Finally, the study will also take into account outdoor air pollution using air quality data provided by the Barcelona City Council for different areas.
The results of this epidemiological study will be available within 3 years and “will allow us to evaluate the impact of RSV prevention in the pediatric population and understand if there are populations at higher risk of becoming ill in order to create new public health campaigns for vulnerable populations,” concludes Martínez Sánchez.
3Cat Marathon
La Marató de 3Cat is a solidarity project promoted by Televisió de Catalunya and the Fundación La Marató de 3Cat and focused on obtaining economic resources for scientific research into diseases that, for now, have no definitive cure.
La Marató goes beyond fundraising. It carries out important work in raising awareness among the Catalan population about the diseases it focuses on and the need to promote scientific research to prevent and/or cure them. La Marató also values scientific outreach, awareness, and educating society in scientific culture. More information at: https://www.3cat.cat/tv3/marato/la-fundacio-financa-60-equips-de-recerca-en-malalties-respiratories/noticia/3378988/
Image: Respiratory syncytial virus – 1
Source: Scientific Culture Dissemination Service of the UEx
Audio clip of José María Martínez Sánchez: https://go.ivoox.com/rf/163198417
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