2.1 General information
From Jan 1st to Dec 31st of the year 2017, a total of 98 hospitalized children with MPP according to the including criteria and excluding criteria were enrolled. All patients including 47 male patients and 51 female ones underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy and BALFs were collected from them. The age of the patients ranged from 1 to 13 years (6.17±2.32 years). During the study period, 15 children with foreign bronchus bodies consisting of 8 males and 7 females were also enrolled in this research as control. The ages of them were among 1 to 9 years (4.97±3.15 years). There were no inflammatory changes on the chest radiographs of children in control. No significant differences in ages (t=1.77, p>0.05 ) and sex ratio (x2=0.15, p>0.05 ) between the patients and control were observed.
The patients were divided into severe cases and mild cases by severity of disease. Severe cases consisted of 27 male patients and 28 female ones. The age of them was 6.83±2.61 years old. Mild cases included 43 patients with 20 boys and 23 girls. The age of them averaged 5.80±2.82 years old. The whole patients were grouped into MP single infections (60 cases) and MP mixed infections (38 cases) according to the infection types. MP single infections consisted of 25 male patients and 35 female ones. The age of them was 6.46±2.73 years old. MP mixed infections included 38 patients with 22 boys and 16 girls. The age of them averaged 5.97±2.79 years old. The patients could also be divided into low MP DNA loads (1.0×103copies/ml≤50 cases<105copies/ml) and high MP DNA loads (48 cases≥105copies/ml) according to the MP DNA loads. Low MP DNA loads consisted of 23 male patients and 27 female ones. The age of them was 6.92±2.86 years old. High MP DNA loads included 48 patients with 24 boys and 24 girls. The age of them averaged 5.86±2.67 years old. No significant differences in ages (t=1.87, p>0.05; t=0.86, p>0.05;t=1.89, p>0.05 ) and sex ratio (x2=0.06, p>0.05; x2=2.45, p>0.05; x2=0.16, p>0.05 ) were observed between severe cases and mild cases, MP single infections (60 cases) and MP mixed infections as well as low MP DNA loads and high MP DNA loads.
2.2 The comparison of IL-6s and IL-27s in BALFs among severe cases, mild cases and control, respectively
The levels of IL-6 in BALFs from severe cases were higher than those from control and mild cases. There were significant differences between them (p<0.05). The levels of IL-6 in BALFs from mild cases were significantly higher than those from control (p<0.05). The levels of IL-27 in BALFs from severe cases and mild cases were slightly decreased than those from control, but there were no significant differences in the levels of IL-27 among them (p>0.05). (Table 1)
2.3 The comparison of IL-6s and IL-27s in BALFs among MP single infection group, MP mixed infection group and control, respectively
The levels of IL-6 in BALFs from MP mixed infection group were higher than those from control and MP single infection group. There were significant differences between them (p<0.05). The levels of IL-6 in BALFs from MP single infection group were significantly higher than those from control (p<0.05). The levels of IL-27 in BALFs from MP mixed infection group were significantly lower than those from control and MP single infection group (p<0.05). But no significant difference were found in the levels of IL-27 in BALFs between MP single infection group and control (p>0.05). (Table 2)
2.4 The comparison of IL-6s and IL-27s in BALFs among high MP DNA loads group, low MP DNA loads group and control, respectively
The levels of IL-6 in BALFs from high MP DNA loads group were higher than those from control and low MP DNA loads group. There were significant differences between them (p<0.05). The levels of IL-6 in BALFs from low MP DNA loads group were not significantly higher than those from control (p>0.05). There were not significant differences in the levels of IL-27 in BALFs from high MP DNA loads group , low MP DNA loads group and control (p>0.05). (Table 3)