Background: Viral infections in childhood, especially to rhinovirus (RV) are associated with asthma development. However, the underlying immune mechanisms of this association are still unknown.

Objective: To assess the association between cumulative RV-specific (RV-sp) IgG responses and ever/severe asthma and lung function, in both children and adults of the EGEA cohort.

Methods: We included 1891 samples from 1562 participants of the EGEA cohort (531 children (<16 yrs) and 1360 adults), among which 835 had ever asthma. RV-sp IgG responses to microarrayed N terminal VP1 peptides were determined for RV species: A (18 peptides), B (9 peptides) and C (9 peptides). Cross-sectional association analyses between RV-sp cumulative IgG responses to all peptides of a given specie and asthma, and lung function parameters (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75) were performed by regression models adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and tobacco smoking in adults.

Results: In children, ever asthma was associated with higher cumulative IgG levels specific to RV-A and RV-C (OR = 1.46 (95%CI, 1.18;1.81), 1.37 (1.11;1.69), respectively). These associations were stronger for moderate/severe asthma (n=149) than for mild asthma (n=588). In adults, ever asthma was associated with lower cumulative RV-A-sp, RV-B-sp and RV-C-sp IgG levels (OR = 0.85 (0.75;0.97), 0.81 (0.71;0.92) and 0.84 (0.74;0.96) respectively). No association was observed between any cumulative RV-sp IgG response and lung function.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that increased levels of cumulative IgG responses to RV-A and RV-C species are associated with higher risk of asthma in children, but lower risk of asthma in adults.