ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein 4 (MCP-4), macrophage derived chemokine (MDC) and cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) in serum of children with mycoplasma pneumonia (MP). Methods Serum levels of MCP-4, MDC and CysLTs measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay were analyzed in 60 children with MP including 36 children with wheezing (MP wheezing group) and 24 children without wheezing (MP non-wheezing group), 30 children with pneumonia but not infected with mycoplasma pneumonia (NMP group), 35 children with acute asthma exacerbation (asthma group), and 25 health children (control group). Results Serum levels of MCP-4, CysLTs and MDC were found markedly elevated in asthma group. The serum levels of MCP-4 and MDC showed signiifcant difference between each of the groups (all P0.05). As for serum level of CysLTs, no signiifcant differences were found between asthma group and MP wheezing group, NMP group and MP-non-wheezing group (all P>0.05). The serum levels of MCP-4, MCD and CysLTs in children with MP were positively correlated with one another. Conclusions MCP-4, MDC and CysLTs play important roles in pathogenesis of MP and are the major causes of wheezing in MP.