Effect of Ribavirin Therapy on Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Specific IgE and IgA Responses After Infection

Ribavirin, a synthetic nucleoside, has been used with initially encouraging results in infants with lower-respiratory tract illness due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. It has been suggested that the development of RSV-specific IgE antibody in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) is associated with the development of wheezing and hypoxia at the time of RSV infection. The authors undertook the present study to determine if ribavirin therapy suppresses the RSV-specific IgE response in the NPS of infants with lower respiratory-tract disease due to RSV. In addition, the authors also studied the effect of ribavirin therapy on the RSV-specific IgA response in the respiratory tract.