CORRELATIONS BETWEEN SERUM 25-HYDROXYL VITAMIN D, TGF-Β1 AND TIMP-1 EXPRESSION AND INFANTILE PNEUMONIA

WU YAN, ZHAO FEI

The Second Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250033 China

Objective: To explore correlations between serum 25-hydroxvitamin D3 [25-(OH) D3], TGF-β1, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 and infanti- le pneumonia.

Methods: Sixty-eight infants diagnosed with pneumonia were recruited as study subjects from April 2015 to April 2016 from our hospital’s Department of Paediatrics, and 44 healthy infants were simultaneously selected from the same hospital as the control group. Peripheral blood was taken from all patients following admission. Peripheral blood 25-(OH) D3, TGF-β1, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels were detected using an ELISA method. Correlations between 25-(OH) D3, TGF-β1, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 and infantile pneumonia were analysed.

Results: Average serum 25-(OH) D3 and TGF-β1 levels in patients with pneumonia were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05); serum MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels in the pneumonia group and the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 were higher than those in the con- trol group (P < 0.05). Average 25-(OH) D3, TGF-β1, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels and the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 in the mild and severe pneumonia groups were significantly different from those in the control group (P < 0.05). Average serum 25-(OH) D3 and TGF-β1 levels in the severe pneumonia group were lower than those in the mild pneumonia group (P < 0.05). Average serum MMP-9 and TIMP- 1 levels and the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 were all higher than those in the mild pneumonia group (P < 0.05). Average serum 25-(OH) D3 and TGF-β1 levels in the severe pneumonia group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05); average serum MMP-9, TIMP-1 levels and ratio of MMP-9/ TIMP-1 in the severe pneumonia group higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Average serum 25-(OH) D3 and TGF-β1 levels in the mild pneumonia group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05); average serum MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels and the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 in the mild pneumonia group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Serum levels of 25-(OH) D3, TGF-β1, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were significantly correlated (P < 0.001). Serum 25-(OH) D3, TGF-β1, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were all risk factors for the occurrence of pneumonia in infants: 25-(OH)D3 and TGF-β1 were asso- ciated with decreased risk, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 with increased risk. The incidence of pneumonia was high.

Conclusion: Serum 25-(OH) D3, TGF-β1, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 are all risk factors for the occurrence of pneumonia in infants and can be used for evaluation indexes; therefore, these biomarkers are clinically significant for evaluating the condition of patients with infantile pneumonia.