Lower respiratory tract infections by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are the foremost cause
of infant hospitalization and are implicated in lasting pulmonary impairment and the
development of asthma. Neutrophils infiltrate the airways of pediatric patients with RSV-
induced bronchiolitis in vast numbers: approximately 80% of infiltrated cells are neutrophils.
However, why neutrophils are recruited to the site of viral respiratory tract infection is not
clear. In this review we discuss the beneficial and pathologic contributions of neutrophils to …