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NASAL EPITHELIAL CELLS TO ASSESS IN VITRO IMMUNE RESPONSES TO RESPIRATORY VIRUS INFECTION IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH ASTHMA

ANIL BATTA

Respiratory virus-induced asthma exacerbations occur frequently during pregnancy and are associated with adverse outcomes for mother and child. Primary nasal epithelial cells (pNECs) provide a useful method to study immune responses in pregnancy. PNECs were obtained by nasal brushings from pregnant and non-pregnant women with and without asthma. PNECs were infected in vitro with major group Rhinovirus 43 (RV43) and seasonal influenza (H3N2). Following infection, pNECs showed measurable quantities of interferon