Infection status and genetic characteristics of adenovirus in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

  Objective  To investigate the respiratory tract virus infection and the characteristics of adenovirus infection in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).

  Methods  From November 2020 to April 2021, throat swabs from the severe patients with AECOPD in a class III hospital in Bengbu, Anhui province, were collected. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to detect 16 common respiratory viruses, including adenovirus (ADV). The hexon genes of ADV were amplified followed with the phylogenetic analysis.

  Results  The detection rate of respiratory viruses was 38.38% (109/284), and the detection rate of ADV was highest (27.81%, 79/284) in these AECOPD patients. ADV infection was mainly caused by subtype C1 virus, and there were multi subtypes such as B, C and D. Combined with clinical data, the AECOPD patients infected with ADV had a longer course of disease and poorer prognosis compared with the AECOPD patients without ADV infection.

  Conclusion  Effective monitoring of respiratory virus infection in AECOPD patients should be carried out in clinical practice to improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment.