Gern James E, Lemanske Robert F
Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI 53792, USA.
Pediatr Clin North Am. 2003 Jun;50(3):555-75, vi. doi: 10.1016/s0031-3955(03)00040-3.
Respiratory infections can cause wheezing illnesses in children of all ages and also can influence the causation and disease activity of asthma. For years it has been recognized that respiratory syncytial virus infections often produce the first episode of wheezing in children who go on to develop chronic asthma. More recently, it has been proposed that repeated infections with other common childhood viral pathogens might help the immune system develop in such a way as to prevent the onset of allergic diseases and possibly asthma. In addition to the effects of viral infections, infections with certain intracellular pathogens, such as chlamydia and mycoplasma, may cause acute and chronic wheezing in some individuals, whereas common cold and acute sinus infections can trigger acute symptoms of asthma. In this article, the epidemiologic, mechanistic, and treatment implications of the association between respiratory infections and asthma are discussed.
呼吸道感染可导致各年龄段儿童出现喘息性疾病，还会影响哮喘的病因及疾病活动。多年来，人们已经认识到呼吸道合胞病毒感染常常会在日后发展为慢性哮喘的儿童中引发首次喘息发作。最近，有人提出，反复感染其他常见的儿童期病毒病原体可能会以某种方式帮助免疫系统发育，从而预防过敏性疾病甚至哮喘的发作。除了病毒感染的影响外，某些细胞内病原体（如衣原体和支原体）的感染可能会在一些个体中引起急性和慢性喘息，而普通感冒和急性鼻窦感染则可能引发哮喘的急性症状。本文将讨论呼吸道感染与哮喘之间关联的流行病学、发病机制及治疗意义。
