Susceptibility to rhinovirus infection in chronic bronchitis.

The role of rhinoviruses in chronic bronchitis was examined serologically in the community of Tecumseh, Michigan. Five different rhinovirus types had been identified by isolation to be present in the community during the time of the study. They were tested against serums obtained from persons with chronic bronchitis and matched control subjects. Both males and females with chronic bronchitis had more frequent infections than did the control subjects; for males, the differences were significant. The higher infection rate among the bronchitic subjects was not related to their being deficient in antibody at the start of the study. It was concluded that persons with chronic bronchitis appear to be more susceptible to rhinovirus infection, as they are to other viral pathogens.