title: Changes of serum TNF-α, IL-5 and IgE levels in the patients of mycoplasma pneumonia infection with or without bronchial asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the changes of serum levels of TNF-α, IL-5 and IgE in mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) infection patients with or without bronchial asthma and explore its clinical importance.
  
  
  METHODS
  ELISA and Western blot assay were performed to detect the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-5 and IgE in 35 healthy subjects, 45 patients with MP infection and 40 bronchial asthma patients with MP infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum levels of TNF-α, IL-5 and IgE in MP infection patients and asthma patients with MP infection were significantly higher than those in healthy subjects (P<0.01). Moreover, the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-5 and IgE in asthma patients with MP infection was markedly higher than those in MP infection patients (P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed serum TNF-α was positively associated with serum IL-5 (r=0.9636, P<0.01), serum TNF-α positively related to IgE (r=0.9841, P<0.01) and serum IgE positively relevant with serum IL-5 (r=0.9572, P<0.01) in asthma patients with MP infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that serum levels of TNF-α, IL-5 and IgE may play important roles in the pathogenesis of MP infection, especially in asthma patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Cuiqin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Hanjing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Xianghuai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
keywords: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; IL-5; IgE; Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection; TNF-α; bronchial asthma