J Korean Med Sci.  2006 Oct;21(5):838-842. 10.3346/jkms.2006.21.5.838.

Human Metapneumovirus Infection in Hospitalized Children with Acute Respiratory Disease in Korea

• Chung JY
• Han TH
• Kim BE
• Kim CK
• Kim SW
• Hwang ES

• KMID: 1781902
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2006.21.5.838

Abstract

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a recently isolated virus, mostly associated with acute lower respiratory infection in children, of which symptoms are similar to those of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of hMPV in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract disease in Korea. Nasal aspirates from hospitalized children with respiratory infections under 15 yr old between December 2003 and February 2005 were included in the study. Each sample was analyzed for RSV, adenovirus, influenza virus A and B, and parainfluenza virus by indirect fluorescent assay (IFA). F-gene sequences were used for PCR for the detection and sequencing of hMPV. In total 381 samples, negative samples in which any viral pathogen could not be identified by IFA were 231 cases. hMPV was detected using reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) in 28 of 231 (12.1%) children who were not infected with another respiratory viruses. The hMPV-infected children were diagnosed as having pneumonia, bronchiolitis, bronchial asthma exacerbation, croup, and upper respiratory tract infection. Most of the RT-PCR positive samples for hMPV were collected in winter season. These results suggest that hMPV may be a responsible pathogen causing acute respiratory tract infection in Korean children.

Keyword

Metapneumovirus; Child; Respiratory Tract Infections; Korea

MeSH Terms

Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Respiratory Tract Infections/*etiology
Phylogeny
Paramyxoviridae Infections/*epidemiology
Metapneumovirus/classification/*isolation & purification
Male
Infant
Humans
Hospitalization
Female
Child, Preschool
Child
Acute Disease

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Human metapneumovirus F gene amplificaion using nested polymerase chain reaction. Lane 9 shows a DNA ladder marker. Lanes 1 and 10 contain positive control (750 bp for first round PCR, 610 bp for second round PCR) Lanes 2 and 11 contain negative control. Lanes 3-8 and lanes 12-17 contain samples 1-6. Sample (lane 4 and 8) and (lane 13 and 17) show positive reactions and the other samples show negative reaction.

• 

  Fig. 2 Phylogenetic analysis of the F genes of hMPV isolated in Korean children, which was reconstructed using neighbour-joining method. Bootstrap proportions (500 replicates) are plotted at the branches of phylogram to show support values. GenBank accession numbers are DQ092710 to DQ092737.

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