Within-host rhinovirus evolution in upper and lower respiratory tract highlights capsid variability and mutation-independent compartmentalization.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Human rhinovirus (HRV) infections can progress from the upper (URT) to lower (LRT) respiratory tract in immunocompromised individuals, causing high rates of fatal pneumonia. Little is known about how HRV evolves within hosts during infection.

Methods

We sequenced HRV complete genomes from 12 hematopoietic cell transplant patients with prolonged infection for up to 190 days from both URT (nasal wash, NW) and LRT (bronchoalveolar lavage, BAL) specimens. Metagenomic (mNGS) and amplicon-based NGS were used to study the emergence and evolution of intra-host single nucleotide variants (iSNVs).

Results

Identical HRV intra-host populations in matched NW and BAL specimens indicated no genetic adaptation is required for HRV to progress from URT to LRT. Microbial comp

SUBMITTER: Makhsous N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10197658 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature