Abstract
ABSTRACT
Objective
This study aimed to investigate the associations of serum cold‐inducible RNA‐binding protein (CIRP) and C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5) with prognosis in children with
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
pneumonia (MPP) and their relationship with neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).
Methods
A total of 485 children with MPP admitted between January 2022 and March 2025 were enrolled. Patients were categorized into good‐prognosis (
n
= 379) and poor‐prognosis (
n
= 106) groups based on therapeutic efficacy at 1 week after treatment completion. Serum levels of CIRP, CXCL5, and NET markers (myeloperoxidase‐DNA complex [MPO‐DNA] and citrullinated histone H3 [CitH3]) were measured. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze factors influencing prognosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate predictive value. Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the correlations of CIRP and CXCL5 with NET markers.
Results
Compared with the good‐prognosis group, the poor‐prognosis group exhibited longer fever duration, higher neutrophil percentage, elevated levels of D‐dimer, C‐reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), higher rates of multilobar involvement and pleural effusion, and more frequent use of systemic glucocorticoids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage, and second‐line antimicrobial agents (all
p
p
p
p
Conclusions
Elevated serum CIRP and CXCL5 levels are associated with poor prognosis in children with MPP and correlate with NET markers. Combined detection may facilitate early identification of high‐risk patients; however, whether these biomarkers influence disease progression through modulation of NET requires further investigation.