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Mission statements & publications

Mission Statement #1

“In order to combat global respiratory infections in children, we need to better understand the respiratory mucosal immune response.”

About this statement

While currently available diagnostic methods for childhood respiratory tract infections focus on blood biomarkers, every respiratory tract infection starts with attachment of the respiratory pathogen to the upper respiratory epithelial cells.

To truly understand the pathophysiology of respiratory tract infections, we aim to characterize the local immune response at the respiratory mucosal level, which will pave the way for novel preventive, diagnostic and immunotherapeutic approaches.

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Presentation at the “Best of ESPID 2022” session at the hybrid European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases conference. Check it out on YouTube

Related publications

MH Koenen, RCA de Groot, WAA de Steenhuijsen-Piters, MJLN Chu, K Arp, R Hasrat, ACJM de Bruijn, SC Estevao, E van der Vries, JD Langereis, M Boes, D Bogaert, AMC van Rossum, WWJ Unger, LM Verhagen. Mycoplasma pneumoniae carriage in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections is associated with a less diverse and altered microbiota. eBioMedicine 2023;98:104868.
MH Koenen, WAA de Steenhuijsen Piters, D Bogaert, LM Verhagen. The microbiota in respiratory tract infections: from association to intervention. Curr Opin Infect Dis 2022;35:215-22.
R De Groot, SC Estevao, PM Meyer Sauteur, A Perkasa, T Hoogenboezem, EBM Spuesens, LM Verhagen, AMC van Rossum, WWJ Unger. Mycoplasma pneumoniae carriage evades induction of protective mucosal antibodies. Eur Respir J 2021;59:2100129.
MH Koenen, M Bosma, UA Roorda, FMY Wopereis, A Roos, E van der Vries, D Bogaert, EAM Sanders, M Boes, J Heidema, JM van Montfrans, WAF Balemans, TC van Holten, LM Verhagen. A novel method to standardize IgA measurements shows an increased prevalence of IgA deficiency in young children with recurrent respiratory tract infections. Clin Transl Immunology 2021;10(11):e1344.
MH Koenen, JM van Montfrans, EAM Sanders, D Bogaert, LM Verhagen. Immunoglobulin A deficiency in children: an undervalued clinical issue. Clin Immunol 2019; 209: 108293. 4,13
LM Verhagen, MI de Jonge, P Burghout, K Schraa, L Spagnuolo, S Mennens, MJ Eleveld, CE van der Gaast-de Jongh, A Zomer, PWM Hermans, HJ Bootsma. Genome-wide identification of genes essential for the survival of Streptococcus pneumoniae in human saliva. PLoS ONE 2014;9:e89541.

Mission Statement #2

“Population-specific strategies are needed to design and target interventions for respiratory infections in children.“

About this statement

As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us, respiratory pathogens do not respect borders. In addition, immune system functioning is affected by multiple factors that can vary between settings, such as nutritional status, environmental triggers, climate, and genetic background. We aim to understand these factors in order to combat respiratory infections in vulnerable populations worldwide.

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Interview during conference of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases about refugee populations.

Related publications:

A Redfern, MM van der Zalm, J Lishman, P Goussard, L Smit, R Dagan, M Barday, M Mare, M Claassen, G van Zyl, H Rabie, LM Verhagen. Clinical presentation and outcome of acute respiratory illnesses in South African children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2023;42:672-8.
H Wang, X Li, Y Zheng, LM Verhagen, J Gu, L Li, Z Xu, W Wang, MI de Jonge. Concordance in pathogen identification at the upper and lower respiratory tract of children with severe pneumonia. BMC Infect Dis 2023;23:170.
KE Siegers, AE van Herwaarden, JH de Waard, B del Nogal, PWM Hermans, D van Tienoven, GAM Berbers, MI de Jonge, LM Verhagen. The metabolic hormone adiponectin affects the correlation between nutritional status and pneumococcal vaccine response in vulnerable indigenous children. PLoS ONE 2022;e0270736.
LM Verhagen, IA Rivera-Olivero, M Clerc, MLJN Chu, J Engelsdorp Gastelaars, MI Kristensen, GAM Berbers, PWM Hermans, MI de Jonge, JH de Waard, D Bogaert. Nasopharyngeal microbiota profiles in rural Venezuelan children are associated with respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Clin Infect Dis 2021;72:212-21.
MM van der Zalm, J Lishman, LM Verhagen, A Redfern, L Smit, M Barday, D Ruttens, A da Costa, S van Jaarsveld, J Itana, N Schrueder, M van Schalkwyk, N Parker, I Appel, B Fourie, M Claassen, JJ Workman, P Goussard, G van Zyl, H Rabie. Clinical experience with SARS CoV-2 related illness in children – hospital experience in Cape Town, South Africa. Clin Infect Dis 2021;72:938-44.
HM Kansen, MA Lebbink, J Mul, FC van Erp, M van Engelen, E de Vries, SMPJ Prevaes, T My Le, CK van der Ent, LM Verhagen. Risk factors for atopic diseases and recurrent respiratory tract infections in children. Pediatr Pulmonol 2020;55:3168-79.
LM Verhagen, M Hermsen, IA Rivera-Olivero, MC Sisco, MI de Jonge, PWM Hermans, JH de Waard. Nasopharyngeal carriage of respiratory pathogens in Warao Amerindians: significant relationship with stunting. Trop Med Int Health 2017;22:407-14.
Kuipers K, Selm S, van Opzeeland F, Langereis JD, Verhagen LM, Diavatopoulos DA, de Jonge MI. Genetic background impacts vaccine-induced reduction of pneumococcal colonization. Vaccine 2017;35:5235-41.
LM Verhagen, MA Overeem, PWM Hermans, B del Nogal, A Márquez Sánchez, N Martinez Acevedo, R Ramirez Murga, J Roelfsema, E Pinelli, JH de Waard. Recurrent wheezing is associated with intestinal protozoan infections in Warao children in Venezuela: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Infect Dis 2014;14:293.
LM Verhagen, K Gómez-Castellano, E Snelders I Rivera-Olivero, L Pocaterra, WJG Melchers, JH de Waard, PWM Hermans. Respiratory infections in Eñepa Amerindians are related to malnutrition and Streptococcus pneumoniae J Infect 2013;67:273-81.
LM Verhagen, A Warris, PWM Hermans, B del Nogal, R de Groot, JH de Waard. High prevalence of acute respiratory tract infections among Warao Amerindian children in Venezuela in relation to low immunization coverage and chronic malnutrition. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2012;31:255-62.

Mission Statement #3

“Clinical studies in children with respiratory infections are essential to develop age-specific empirically-verified interventions.”

About this statement

Respiratory tract infections are amongst the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in young children. Because children are immunologically immature, it is important to create child-specific interventions instead of modifying adult therapies.

Therefore, we perform clinical intervention studies including children with severe or recurrent respiratory infections to develop best practice guidelines.

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Lilly during Serious Request about working in Venezuela.

Related publications:

MM van der Zalm, NA Sam-Agudu, LM Verhagen. Respiratory adenovirus infections in children: a focus on Africa. Curr Opin Pediatr 2024; 36(3):342-48.
EAML Mutsaerts, B van Cranenbroek, SA Madhi, E Simonetti, A Arns, L Jose, A Koen, AE van Herwaarden, MI de Jonge, LM Verhagen. Impact of nutritional status on vaccine-induced immunity in children living in South Africa: investigating the B-cell repertoire and metabolic hormones. Vaccine 2024; Apr 17:S0264-410X(24)00448-1.
MH Koenen, JM van Montfrans, SMPJ Prevaes, MP van Engelen, E van der Vries, M Boes, EAM Sanders, D Bogaert, LM Verhagen. Antibody deficiencies in children are associated with prematurity and a family history of infections. Pediatr Res 2023;94:2047-53.
D Peeters, N van Geloven, LE Visser, D Bogaert, AMC van Rossum, GJA Driessen, LM Verhagen. Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial evaluating the clinical effect of antibiotic prophylaxis in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections: the Approach study. BMJ Open 2021;11:e044505.
LM Verhagen, IA Rivera-Olivero, M Hermsen, MC Sisco, M Maes, B del Nogal, D Bogaert, GAM Berbers, PWM Hermans, MI de Jonge, JH de Waard. Introduction of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in an isolated pneumococcal vaccine-naïve indigenous population. Eur Respir J 2016;48:1492-96.
LM Verhagen, M Hermsen, IA Rivera-Olivero, MC Sisco, E Pinelli, PWM Hermans, GAM Berbers, JH de Waard, MI de Jonge. Stunting correlates with high salivary and serum antibodies after 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination of Venezuelan Amerindian children. Vaccine 2016;34:2312-20.