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. 2017 May;13(5):1813-1819.
doi: 10.3892/etm.2017.4219. Epub 2017 Mar 10.

Association of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection with increased risk of asthma in children

Sha-Sha Yin  1 , Feng-Lian Ma  1 , Xing Gao  1
Affiliations

Association of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection with increased risk of asthma in children

Sha-Sha Yin et al. Exp Ther Med. 2017 May.

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection and the risk of asthma among children by detecting the rate of MP immunoglobulin M (MP-IgM) and the eosinophil (EOS) count. A total of 139 asthmatic children were enrolled as the case group and assigned into three groups: Group A (aged <3 years, n=42), group B (aged 3-8 years, n=45) and group C (aged >8 years, n=52). Additionally, 115 healthy children were enrolled in the control group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the MP-IgM-positive rate. EOS count was detected in the experimental and control groups by using a hemocytometer analyzer. A meta-analysis was performed by using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2.0 software. The positive rates of the MP-IgM and EOS count in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group (both P<0.001). Furthermore, the asthmatic children in group C had a higher MP-IgM-positive rate and EOS count as compared to those in groups A and B, respectively (all P<0.05). Results from groups A and B were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The meta-analysis further confirmed that asthmatic children had a higher MP-IgM-positive rate as compared to the healthy controls (P<0.001). Age-stratified analysis revealed that the MP-IgM-positive rate in asthmatic children aged ≥8 and <8 years was significantly higher than that in the healthy controls (P=0.003 and P<0.001). Asthmatic children had a higher MP-IgM-positive rate and EOS count as compared with controls, suggesting that the MP infection may be closely associated with the risk of asthma. Additionally, the positive rate of MP-IgM may indicate an important biological marker in predicting the development of asthma.

Keywords: Mycoplasma pneumoniae immunoglobulin M; Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection; asthma; case-control study; eosinophil count; meta-analysis.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The positive rates of MP-IgM in asthmatic children (case group) and healthy controls (control group). The MP-IgM-positive rate in asthmatic children was significantly higher than that in the healthy controls (P<0.001). MP-IgM, Mycoplasma pneumoniae immunoglobulin M.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The positive rates of MP-IgM of asthmatic children in different age groups. The asthmatic children aged more than 8 years had a higher positive rate of MP-IgM than the asthmatic children aged <3 years, and the asthmatic children aged 3–8 years, respectively. MP-IgM, Mycoplasma pneumoniae immunoglobulin M.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
The EOS count in asthmatic children (case group) and healthy controls (control group). The EOS count in asthmatic children was significantly higher than that in the healthy controls (P<0.001). EOS, eosinophils.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
The EOS count of asthmatic children in different age groups. The asthmatic children aged more than 8 years had an increased EOS count as compared to that in the asthmatic children aged <3 years and the asthmatic children aged 3–8 years, respectively. EOS, eosinophils. P<0.05.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Flow diagram of the studies identified.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Publication bias were evaluated by Begg's funnel plot and Egger's test. The shape of the funnel plots were symmetrical and P-value for Egger's test was 0.941, suggesting that there was no evidence of publication bias among these 10 included studies.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Forest plots of relationship of Mycoplasma pneumoniae immunoglobulin M (MP-IgM)-positive rate with the risk of asthma among children.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
Stratified analysis for the difference of Mycoplasma pneumoniae immunoglobulin M (MP-IgM)-positive rate between the asthmatic children (case group) and the healthy controls (control group).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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