Polymorphism of ORMDL3 gene in RSV-infected children with capillary bronchiolitis and the association of ANXA1, TGF-β1 and Eotaxin with the severity of the disease

OBJECTIVE To study the gene polymorphism of mucoid-1-like protein 3(ORMDL3) in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-infected children with capillary bronchiolitis and the association of annexin A1(ANXA1), transforming growth factor -β1(TGF-β1) and eosinophil chemokine (Eotaxin) with the severity of the disease.

METHODS From Oct. 2020 to Oct. 2023, 99 children with RSV-infected bronchiolitis admitted to Henan Children′s Hospital were selected as the research subject in the case group, and were further divided into the mild group (31 cases), the moderate group (42 cases) and the severe group (26 cases), respectively, after assessing the conditions. Another 101 matched children underwent healthy physical examination during the same period were included as the control group. Serum levels of ANXA1, TGF-β1, Eotaxin and ORMDL3 gene polymorphism were detected and compared among the groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the serum levels of ANXA1, TGF-β1, Eotaxin and the severity of the disease.

RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in the course of illness, gender, age, body mass index, and proportion of chest X-ray abnormalities among the mild, moderate and severe groups. The proportion of patients aged 1-3 months of the severe was higher than that of the mild and moderate groups, and the proportion of patients with hospitalization time >7 days was higher than that of the mild group (P < 0.05). The serum levels of ANXA1, TGF-β1 and Eotaxin in the case group were (1.83±0.54) μg/ml, (31.10±6.61) μg/L and (112.77±13.43) ng/L, respectively, which were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The serum levels of ANXA1, TGF-β1, and Eotaxin in the severe group were (2.51±0.58) μg/ml, (49.41±8.42) μg/L and (126.98±12.05) ng/L, respectively, which were higher than those in the mild and moderate groups, and those in the moderate group was higher than those in the mild group (P < 0.05). The Spearman correlation analysis results showed that the levels of serum ANXA1, TGF - β 1 and Eotaxin in RSV-infected children with bronchiolitis were positively correlated with the severity of the disease (r=0.602, 0.513, 0.576, all P < 0.05). The proportions of TT genotype and T allele at the rs7216389 locus of ORMDL3 gene in the case group were 66.67% and 81.82%, respectively, which were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS The hospitalization time of RSV-infected children with bronchiolitis of the severe group is significantly prolonged, with a higher risk between Jan. and Mar.. The serum levels of ANXA1, TGF-β1 and Eotaxin in children with RSV infection are increased, and the changes of these indexes might be involved in the progress of children′s disease. The polymorphism of ORMDL3 gene might be involved in the occurrence of bronchiolitis caused by RSV in children, but its relationship with the progress of the disease is limited.