Adenovirus IgG and respiratory syncytial virus IgG seroprevalence in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the inflammatory response of the airways against harmful gases and particles in the lungs. It is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in all countries of the world due to progressive airway restriction. The acute exacerbation phase of COPD is usually triggered by bacterial or viral infections of the airway. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-immunoglobulin G (IgG) and adenovirus-IgG in COPD patients. Seroprevalence of RSV-IgG and adenovirus-IgG was investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method in serum samples taken from 172 (107 male/65 female) patients being treated for COPD. In the RSV-IgG study, 42.5% of the samples were positive, 49.4% were negative, and 8.1% gray-zone. In the adenovirus IgG study, 30.2% of the samples were positive, 61.6% negative, and 8.2% gray-zone. In addition, 13.4% (n = 23) of 172 patients were found to have both RSV and adenovirus coexistence. There was a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) in terms of gender in viral positive patients. In this thesis study, the prevalence of specific immune responses developed in individuals against RSV and adenovirus, which play a role in COPD attacks and exacerbations has been revealed. We suggest that it will be effective to use virus-specific vaccines as a treatment modality for the elimination of viral agents that increase the severity of exacerbations in unvaccinated COPD patients.