Enhanced interferon response genes in bronchial epithelial cells after in vivo rhinovirus challenge of asthma patients

In asthma there are exaggerated rather than impaired innate and adaptive interferon responses in vivo after RV16 infection, which strongly correlate with inflammation and loss of asthma control. Mild asthma patients (n=15) and healthy controls (n=4) were challenged with RV16. PBECs were obtained by bronchial brushes before and 6 days after RV16. The transcriptome was determined by RNAseq and also correlated with clinical outcomes.