Correlation of serum nutrient levels with immune cell differentiation and inflammatory response activation in children with pneumonia

• Main Authors: Hui Wang, Hai-Yan Zhu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Editorial Board of Journal of Hainan Medical University 2018-10-01
• Series: Journal of Hainan Medical University
• Subjects: Pneumonia; Nutrient; Th1/Th2 cell; Th17/Treg cell; Inflammatory response
• Online Access: http://www.hnykdxxb.com/PDF/201810/10.pdf

Objective: To investigate the correlation of serum nutrient levels with immune cell differentiation and inflammatory response activation in children with pneumonia. Methods: 200 children with pneumonia who were treated in our hospital between April 2015 and August 2017 were selected as the pneumonia group, and 100 healthy children who were vaccinated in this hospital during the same period were selected as the normal control group. The differences in serum levels of nutrients, Th1/Th2 cytokines, Th17/Treg cytokines and inflammatory mediators were compared between the two groups. Pearson test was used to assess the relationship between serum nutrient levels and disease severity. Results: Serum Vit A, Fe and Zn levels of pneumonia group were lower than those of control group. The differences in serum Vit D, Ca and Mg levels were not statistically significant between the two groups of children. Serum Th1 cytokines IL-2 and TNF-β contents of pneumonia group were lower than those of control group whereas Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-5 contents were higher than those of control group; Th17 cytokines IL-17, IL-21 and IL-22 contents were higher than those of control group whereas Treg cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β contents were lower than those of control group; inflammatory mediators CRP, PCT and MCP-1 contents were significantly higher than those of control group. Pearson test showed that serum nutrients Vit A, Fe and Zn levels in children with pneumonia were directly correlated with the degree of immune cell differentiation and inflammatory response. Conclusion: Serum Vit A, Fe, Zn and other nutrient levels abnormally decrease in children with pneumonia, and the specific level are directly correlated with the severity of the disease.