Potential Neurocognitive Symptoms Due to Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection.
Catalina A AndradeAlexis M KalergisKaren BohmwaldPublished in: Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) (2021)
Respiratory infections are among the major public health burdens, especially during winter. Along these lines, the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is the principal viral agent causing acute lower respiratory tract infections leading to hospitalization. The pulmonary manifestations due to hRSV infection are bronchiolitis and pneumonia, where the population most affected are infants and the elderly. However, recent evidence suggests that hRSV infection can impact the mother and fetus during pregnancy. Studies have indicated that hRSV can infect different cell types from the placenta and even cross the placenta barrier and infect the fetus. In addition, it is known that infections during the gestational period can lead to severe consequences for the development of the fetus due not only to a direct viral infection but also because of maternal immune activation (MIA). Furthermore, it has been described that the development of the central nervous system (CNS) of the fetus can be affected by the inflammatory environment of the uterus caused by viral infections. Increasing evidence supports the notion that hRSV could invade the CNS and infect nervous cells, such as microglia, neurons, and astrocytes, promoting neuroinflammation. Moreover, it has been described that the hRSV infection can provoke neurological manifestations, including cognitive impairment and behavioral alterations. Here, we will review the potential effect of hRSV in brain development and the potential long-term neurological sequelae.
Keyphrases
- respiratory syncytial virus
- public health
- respiratory tract
- cognitive impairment
- sars cov
- pregnant women
- cerebral ischemia
- blood brain barrier
- oxidative stress
- traumatic brain injury
- spinal cord
- endothelial cells
- induced apoptosis
- liver failure
- bipolar disorder
- respiratory failure
- inflammatory response
- pulmonary hypertension
- white matter
- cell proliferation
- stem cells
- sleep quality
- signaling pathway
- cell therapy
- multiple sclerosis
- neuropathic pain
- functional connectivity
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- global health
- cell death
- brain injury