PRESENCE OF RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS GENOMIC SEQUENCES IN MIDDLE-EAR FLUID AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO EXPRESSION OF CYTOKINES AND CELL-ADHESION MOLECULES

The presence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and several cytokine s and cell adhesion molecules in middle ear effusions and mucosal tiss ues was evaluated using polymerase chain reaction. RSV genomic sequenc es were detected in 23 (52.7%) of 44 middle ear effusions tested. The sequences were detectable at an even higher rate (82.4%) in effusions of children in whom infectious virus was detected in the nasopharynx. All samples with the RSV genome contained the mRNA for interleukin-1be ta and -6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The messages for these cyto kines, together with intercellular adhesion molecule-1, endothelial le ukocyte adhesion molecule-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, we re detected in human middle ear mucosal organ cultures infected in vit ro with RSV. Our results suggest that the enhanced synthesis of proinf lammatory cytokines and cell adhesion molecules in the middle ear infe cted with RSV may contribute to the inflammatory processes in otitis m edia.