All issues > Volume 42(5); 1999

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1999;42(5):672-678. Published online May 15, 1999.

Clinical Significance of Serum ECP in Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia

Young Ghil YG Rah¹, Dong Keun DK Lee¹, In Seok IS Lim¹, Eung Sang ES Choi¹, Soo Ahn SA Chae¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Young Ghil YG Rah ,Email: 1

Abstract

Purpose
: Allergic inflammation of the lower respiratory tract is a characteristic clinical feature in asthma patients, in which eosinophils play an important role. The activity of eosinophil may be determined by measuring the level of eosinophil cationic protein(ECP) in sputum or serum as a potential marker of the inflammatory severity.
Methods
: We measured the serum concentrations of ECP produced by eosinophils in 29 children with M. pneumoniae as the infected group, 26 children with M. pneumoniae as the non-infected group.
Results
: Number of infected group was 29(male 18, female 11, mean age 5.5 years old), and that of non-infected group was 26(male 17, female 9, mean age 5.2 years old). There were no sex and age differences between the two groups. The mean concentrations of serum ECP in infected group and non-infected group were 14.37±9.00μg/L and 9.15±7.75μg/L, respectively. It showed significant change statistically(P<.05). Total eosinophil count in infected group(221.10±232.84/mm3) was higher than that of non-infected group(171.8±262.46/mm3). There was no significant difference between the two groups. But there was an increment of serum ECP and eosinophilia and no increment of total IgE and specific IgE in either group(P<.001).
Conclusion
: The results suggest that ECP may as a factor cause damage to the respiratory system similar to asthma in children with M. pneumonia.

Keywords :Mycoplasma pneumoniae, ECP, Pneumonia, Eosinophilia