Affiliations: [a] Department of Pediatrics, Women and Children’s Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266000, China | [b] Department of Pediatrics, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Zibo, Zibo, Shandong 255011, China | [c] Department of ICU, Zibo 7th People Hospital, Zibo, Shandong 255040, China
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Li-Ping Chen, Department of Pediatrics, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Zibo, No. 11 of Xingyuan East Street, Zhangdian District, Zibo, Shandong 255011, China. Tel: +86 13853300217; E-mail: chen_ping612@163.com.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differences of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and galectin-3 concentrations in lobar pneumonia and bronchopneumonia induced by mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) in children and to explore these related factors predicting the severity of MP. METHODS: A total of 148 children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) and 32 healthy controls were analyzed from March 2017 to August 2018 in our province. Clinical information was collected from the hospitalized MP patients. The 148 patients with MPP were divided into two groups: lobar pneumonia group and bronchial pneumonia group. The 32 healthy children were considered the control group. The concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and Gal-3 were examined in the serum of 148 children patients with MPP and 32 healthy children by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The TNF-α, IL-6 and Gal-3 levels were obviously higher in both the lobar pneumonia and bronchial pneumonia groups, compared to those in the control group. Furthermore, these levels were significantly higher in the lobar pneumonia group, compared to the bronchial pneumonia group. After treatment, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and Gal-3 totally descended during the recovery period. CONCLUSION: There are differences in serum TNF-α, IL-6 and Gal-3 concentrations in lobar pneumonia and bronchial pneumonia caused by MP in children. In general, the TNF-α, IL-6 and Gal-3 levels were significantly higher in the lobar pneumonia group, when compared to the bronchial pneumonia group. This was because most lobar pneumonia cases are much more serious than bronchial pneumonia. Moreover, it has been proven that TNF-α, IL-6 and Gal-3 may play an important role in the pathogenesis development of MPP. At the same time, these are important issues in diagnosing MPP.
