Clinical significance of serum miR-95 in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection complicated with diarrhea.

INTRODUCTION AND

OBJECTIVE

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection (MPI) can lead to extrapulmonary diseases, in which diarrhea occurs frequently. The role and impact of microRNA-95 (miR-95) in MPI and MPI with diarrhea (MPI+DIA) remain elusive. The aim of the study is to investigate miR-95 expression and its functional impact in paediatric MPI with diarrhea.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The study enrolled 80 MPI patients (53 without diarrhea, 27 with diarrhea) and 80 matched healthy controls. Expression of miR-95 was quantified using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT -qPCR). Predictors of disease status were analyzed through binary logistic regression. An in vitro pneumonia model (MP-BEAS-2B) was generated by infecting BEAS-2B cells with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). In parallel, an intestinal epithelial injury model was generated by treating Caco-2 cells with 4 μg/mL lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs). Cell proliferation was measured with cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), apoptosis by flow cytometry, and interleukin -8 (IL-8) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels were determined via RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

The study revealed that miR-95 was significantly elevated in the MPI group, with a further increase observed in MPI patients complicated with diarrhea. Additionally, miR-95 served as a discriminator among healthy controls, MPI patients, and MPI+DIA patients. In MP-BEAS-2B and LAMPs-Caco-2 cells, miR-95 was highly expressed. However, downregulating miR-95 significantly enhanced cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis, and reduced the expression of IL-8 and TNF-α.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-95 expression was significantly elevated in MPI patients, and further increased in those with MPI complicated by diarrhea. Downregulating miR-95 significantly protected BEAS-2B and Caco-2 cells from MP damage and alleviated cellular inflammation.