Serum cytokine levels in children with community-acquired pneumonia caused by different respiratory pathogens

Abstract Objective To investigate the serum levels of cytokines in children with community-acquired pneumonia caused by different respiratory pathogens. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of children who were hospitalized with CAP in the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from February 2021 to October 2022. According to different pathogens, they were divided into Mycoplasma pneumoniae group, Adenovirus group, respiratory syncytial virus group, Haemophilus influenzae group, and Streptococcus pneumoniae group, and the levels of cytokines among groups were analyzed. Results: The level of IL-2 in Mycoplasma pneumoniae was higher than that RSV and Streptococcus pneumoniae. On IL-4, Mycoplasma pneumoniae was higher than RSV. In terms of IL-6, RSV was lower than that of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, adenovirus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The level of IL-10 in Mycoplasma pneumoniae was lower than that adenovirus and RSV. Haemophilus influenzae was lower than RSV. In terms of IL-17A, Mycoplasma pneumoniae was higher than RSV, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. In terms of INF-γ, Mycoplasma pneumoniae was higher than that of RSV, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Adenovirus and RSV were higher than Haemophilus influenzae, and the above differences were statistically significant. In Mycoplasma Pneumonia and Haemophilus influenzae, the severe pneumonia in IL − 6 and IL − 10, IFN - gamma are significantly higher than common pneumonia(P < 0.05).Conclusions: The expression levels of cytokines in community-acquired pneumonia caused by different respiratory pathogens are different. IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-γ have certain reference significance in predicting severe pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae.