Thread by @MackayIM

⬛ after tea Tejasri Yarlagadda, from @QUT on a pilot study investigating viral pathogenesis of otitis media (OM): epithelial Immunity and therapeutic targets
⬛OM a significant cause of morbidity, antibiotic prescriptions and surgery ($400mill cost in AUS annually)
#ARVM2019Bris

@QUT ⬛ since viruses are the basis of OM aetiology, antibiotics aren't helpful (for that stage)
⬛what about recurrent or chronic OM.
⬛Acute OM (AOM) considered to be viral infection followed by expansion of colonising bacteria
⬛persistent viral infection role?
#ARVM2019Bris

@QUT ⬛study screened nasal swabs ad found viruses in OM probe an non-robe kids
⬛ but TOTAL number of infection was double that in prone group, often as co-infections
⬛primary airway epithelial cell culture model at air-liquid interface (ALI)
#ARVM2019Bris

@QUT ⬛using nasal epithelial cells (NECs), differentiated for 3-5weeks into epithelium and infected with RSV or MPV
⬛maintained cultures up to 25 days and virus kept replicating
#ARVM2019Bris

@QUT ⬛IFN production was elevated in OM; perhaps over-exuberant inflammatory response or impaired downstream antiviral response
⬛the response was characterised using @nanostringtech
⬛121 gene similarly upregulated in both groups; 111 up to 3-fol on OM-group
#ARVM2019Bris

@QUT @nanostringtech ⬛IFN-stimulated genes and Toll-like receptors (TLR) NOT upregulated in OM but some inflammatory genes were upregulated, supporting over-exuberant immune response, and possible viral persistence in vivo
⬛rhinovirus also found and to be incorporated
#ARVM2019Bris

@QUT @nanostringtech ⬛also planning to setup a co-culture system with inclusion of immune cells, currently lacking in the AEC model
#ARVM2019Bris