Abstract:OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the immune state of children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) so as to provide evidence for determining the treatment regime of MPP. METHODS: Enzyme linked immunoassay was used to measure serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) levels in children with either MPP (MPP group, n=41) or bronchopneumonia with negative MP-IgM (non-MPP group, n=20). Twenty healthy children served as the Normal control group. RESULTS: Serum levels of IL-6 and sIL-6R in the MPP group were significantly higher than those of the Normal control group in both the acute and recovery stages (P< 0.01). Serum IL-6 levels of the non-MPP group in the acute and recovery stages were significantly higher than those of the Normal control group (P< 0.01, P< 0.05, respectively), while serum sIL-6R level was not different between them. In the recovery stage,serum IL-6 levels in both the MPP and non-MPP groups reduced significantly compared with those of the acute stage (P <0.01), while serum sIL-6R levels remained at a high level. The children in the MPP group had higher levels of serum IL-6 and sIL-6R in the acute stage than those of the non-MPP group (P< 0.05). In the recovery stage, the serum sIL-6R levels of the MPP group were still significantly higher than those of the non-MPP group (P< 0.01), while the difference of serum IL-6 between the two groups was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: There may be more remarkable immune function disorders in children with MPP compared to children with non-MPP. Immune regulation therapy seems to be necessary for children with MPP.
