Title: 10 GENETIC PREDISPOSITION FOR ATOPY ALLOWS PREDICTION OF CLINICAL COURSE OF RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV) INFECTION IN INFANCY
Abstract: To assess the hypothesis that a family history of atopy can predict the clinical course of infants with RSV infection we studied 172 patients with laboratory documented RSV infection during 1985 to 1989. 99 infants were admitted, 73 infants were treated as outpatients. A positive family history of atopic disease was seen in 61% of hospitalised infants, but only in 21% of outpatients (p<0.001). This difference remained after controlling for confounding variables. Length of hospital stay (>6 or >9 days) correlated positively with a family history of atopy (p<0.02 and p<0.005 respectively). Symptoms were more severe in infants with a positive family history of atopy (p<0.02). We conclude that a genetic predisposition for atopy is an important host factor which allows prediction of the clinical course during RSV disease in infancy. Alternatively, the severity of RSV disease in infancy may predict the development of atopic diseases (e.g. bronchial asthma) later in childhood.