title: Serum cytokine profile contributes to discriminating M. pneumoniae pneumonia in children.
abstract: To evaluate the role of serum cytokines in discriminating M. pneumoniae infection in children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
  
  
  
  A prospective observational study was conducted. 385 hospitalized patients with CAP had only M. pneumoniae (MP group) infection; 321 hospitalized patients with CAP had no M. pneumoniae and other specific pathogen (control group) infections. Serum interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were detected by flow cytometry.
  
  
  
  In children younger than 5years, serum IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels from MP group were significantly higher than those from control group. However in children 5-15years, serum IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ levels from MP group were significantly higher than those from control group. In the final multivariate logistic regression model for serum cytokine, moderately elevated IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ shows a higher prediction of development of M. pneumoniae pneumonia among CAP patients.
  
  
  
  A specific cytokine pattern showed a higher prediction of M. pneumoniae pneumonia among CAP patients, further suggesting that serum cytokine pattern might be useful in differentiating infectious causative agents in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Jing
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: snowpeakxu@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhi-Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; C508609:IL10 protein, human; C508598:IL4 protein, human; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Children; Community-acquired pneumonia; Cytokine; M. pneumoniae