The expression and clinical value of miR-222-3p in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.
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BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a leading causative agent of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children, with the incidence of severe MP pneumonia (SMPP) increasing in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the expression of miR-222-3p in pediatric MP pneumonia (MPP) and its correlation with inflammatory factors, as well as to explore its possible relationship with SMPP. METHODS: A total of 87 children with MPP and 43 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. MiR-222-3p levels were quantified by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), while serum interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The correlation between miR-222-3p and inflammatory cytokines was analyzed, and the ability of miR-222-3p to distinguish SMPP was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The children with MPP exhibited significantly elevated levels of miR-222-3p, IL-6, and TNF-α compared to the healthy controls (P<0.05). Notably, miR-222-3p and IL-6 were observed to be differentially expressed between the SMPP and mild MPP cases. Combination of miR-222-3p and IL-6 had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.882 for identifying SMPP. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between the miR-222-3p and IL-6 levels. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of miR-222-3p is significantly up-regulated in pediatric MPP, and shows a correlation with disease severity, suggesting it may be a useful biomarker in the clinical assessment of SMPP.