PREQUEL - Transcriptomics following severe LRI in children in Bangladesh
Study Period: January 2026-December 2026
Donor Name: Yale School of Public Health, United States
Partners: Yale School of Public Health, United States
Project Description:
Background: Chronic respiratory diseases cause substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. Severe lower respiratory infections (LRIs) in infancy are particularly important because they occur during critical periods of lung development, including alveolarization, which continue until about 2-3 years of age. Injury during this time may cause lasting changes in lung structure and function that persist into adulthood. Prospective studies examining molecular responses after LRIs in infancy are limited. More evidence is needed to understand how severe LRIs affect airway and immune pathways during lung development and to identify early biological markers that can predict recovery or long-term respiratory problems.
Objective: The primary objective of this study is to characterize within-child changes in nasal gene expression profiles between the acute and convalescent phases in individuals with severe LRI, compared with age-, sex-, and season-matched controls.
Method: We are conducting a prospective, matched-cohort pilot study in Sylhet, Bangladesh. We are enrolling a total of 30 infants aged 1-12 months, including 15 cases with severe LRIs and 15 age-, sex-, and season-matched community controls. Each case will provide two nasal swabs; one collected during acute illness within 24 hours of hospital admission and one during recovery approximately 60 days later. Controls will provide a single nasal swab at enrollment. These samples will be used to compare host gene expressions during severe ALRI episodes and during recovery.
Significance: This study will generate preliminary data on host transcriptional responses during severe LRIs and recovery in children in Bangladesh. The findings will inform future transcriptomic and machine learning research to identify gene expression patterns associated with recovery, disease severity, and risk of long-term respiratory complications following severe LRIs in children.