[Serum levels of IL-13 and TNF-alpha in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To examine serum levels of interleukin-13 (IL-13) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) pneumonia. METHODS: Eighty children with MP pneumonia complicated by wheezing or without (n=40 each), 40 children with pneumonia from non-MP infection and 40 healthy children were enrolled. Serum levels of IL-13 and TNF-alpha were measured using ELISA. RESULTS: The serum levels of IL-13 and TNF-alpha in the MP pneumonia group were significantly higher than those in non-MP pneumonia group and the healthy control group (P<0.01). The children with MP pneumonia complicated by wheezing had increased serum levels of IL-13 (214.6 + or - 67.2 ng/L vs 189.6 + or - 52.1 ng/L; P<0.01) and TNF-alpha(0.55 + or - 0.13 ng/mL vs 0.42 + or - 0.16 ng/mL; P<0.01)compared with those without wheezing. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in serum levels of IL-13 and TNF-alpha may play important roles in the pathogenesis of MP pneumonia and wheezing attack in children.