Abstract：OBJECTIVE: To study the status of Th1/Th2 immune response and the value of the detection of cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) by examining the levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 in BALF and serum in children with severe Mycoplasma pneumonia (MPP). METHODS: The levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 in BALF and serum were measured using ELISA in 25 children with severe MPP, 25 children with mild MPP and 25 children with foreign body in bronchus. RESULTS: The levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ and the IL-4/IFN-γ ratio in BALF in children with severe MPP were significantly higher than those in children with foreign body in bronchus (P<0.01 or <0.05). The serum levels of IL-4 and the IL-4/IFN-γ ratio in children with severe MPP were significantly higher than those in children with foreign body in bronchus (P<0.01) or with mild MPP (P<0.05). The levels of IL-4 and the IL-4/IFN-γ ratio in BALF were significantly higher than in serum (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that the imbalance of Th1/Th2 exists in children with severe MPP and it seems to represent a predominant Th2-like cytokine response. The detection of cytokines in BALF appears to be more sensitive than in serum and may be of value in the diagnosis and therapy of MPP.
KANG Yan-Meng,DING Ming-Jie,HAN Yu-Ling et al. Th1/Th2 immune response in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in children with severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia[J]. CJCP, 2011, 13(3): 188-190.
［6］Pietsch K, Ehlers S, Jacobs E. Cytokine gene expression in the lungs of BALB/c mice during primary and secondary intranasal infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae［J］. Microbiology,1994, 140(Pt 8): 2043-2048.
［7］Opitz O, Pietsch K, Ehlers S, Jacobs E. Cytokine gene expression in immune mice reinfected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae: the role of T cell subsets in aggravating the inflammatory response［J］.Immunobiology, 1996-1997, 196(5):575-587.
［9］Nakayama T, Sonoda S, Urano T, Osano M, Maehara N, Sasaki K, et al. Interferon production during the course of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection［J］.Pediatr Infect Dis J, 1992, 11(2):72-77.
［10］Martin RJ, Chu HW, Honour JM, Harbeck RJ. Airway inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness after Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in a murine model［J］. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol, 2001, 24(5):577-582.
［11］Koh YY, Park Y, Lee HJ, Kim CK. Levels of interleukin-2, interferon-gamma,and interleukin-4 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with mycoplasma pneumonia: implication of tendency toward increased immunoglobulin E production［J］.Pediatrics, 2001, 107(3): E39.
［13］Woolard MD, Hodge LM, Jones HP, Schoeb TR, Simecka JW. The upper and lower respiratory tracts differ in their requirement of IFNgamma and IL-4 in controlling respiratory mycoplasma infection and disease［J］. J Immunol, 2004, 172(11): 6875-6883.
