Aetiological agents, interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and CRP concentrations in children with community- and hospital-acquired pneumonia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the pathogens causing pneumonia in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and to investigate serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and CRP in pneumonia caused by different aetiological agents.


METHODS
Eighty-seven children (mostly < 5 years of age) were recruited in a prospective study, 55 of them with CAP without prior antibiotic treatment and 32 with HAP. Thirty healthy outpatient children served as controls.


RESULTS
The causative micro-organisms were determined by serological and microbiological methods in 40 cases with CAP (72.7%) and 30 with HAP (93.7%). In CAP, M. pneumoniae was the most common causative agent (43.6%), followed by S. pneumoniae (20%) and C. pneumoniae (18.1%). Bacteria alone were the sole causative agents in only 21.8% of cases with HAP. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (34.3%) and K. pneumoniae (32.5%) were the most frequently isolated. Although IL-6 and IL-8 levels were raised, there was no statistical difference between the CAP and HAP groups, or between bacterial and mycoplasma infections; neither was there a difference in CRP levels between these two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The causes of pneumonia differ between CAP and HAP. Levels of IL-6, IL-8 and CRP are raised in pneumonia but are unhelpful in differentiating the various aetiologies.
Tumgor
Gokhan
G
Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. gtumgor74@yahoo.com
Celik
Umit
U
Alabaz
Derya
D
Cetiner
Salih
S
Yaman
Akgun
A
Yildizdas
Dincer
D
Alhan
Emre
E
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D002097:C-Reactive Protein