title: Relationships between the varied ciliated respiratory epithelium abnormalities and severity of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pathogenesis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection involves cytoadherence of M. pneumoniae to the ciliated respiratory epithelium (CRE), followed by CRE injury caused by the M. pneumoniae. However, whether CRE abnormalities are related to the severity of M. pneumoniae pneumonia (MP) remains to be determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight patients with MP and 8 controls who underwent fiber-optic bronchoscopy with bronchial biopsy were included in this study. Patients with MP were divided into 2 groups: a mild disease group (12 patients) and a severe disease group (26 patients). The clinical features, laboratory findings, chest radiographic findings, and CRE abnormalities were characterized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with severe pneumonia had a higher epithelial integrity score than those with mild pneumonia (5.1 ± 0.76 vs 3.8 ± 0.75; p < 0.01). Patients with severe CRE abnormalities had a longer duration of fever (p < 0.01), higher C-reactive protein (p < 0.01), and lower proportion of blood lymphocytes (p < 0.05) compared to those with mild abnormalities. Patients with a positive bacteria culture had a higher epithelial integrity score compared to those with a negative culture (6.0 ± 0.44 vs 4.8 ± 0.71; p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CRE abnormalities are closely related to the severity of MP. These findings extend our current knowledge of MP.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University , Suzhou.
authors.forename: Wujun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Lulu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Deyu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002923:Cilia / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000502:physiology*; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Ciliated respiratory epithelium; Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia; children