Clinical significance of serum miR-98-5p in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection complicated with digestive system damage

Background: Studies have shown that serum MicroRNA detection holds significant potential in improving the diagnostic accuracy of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP).

Aims: To investigate the expression and clinical value of miR-98-5p in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) Infection complicated with diarrhea.

Methods: A total of 122 children diagnosed with MPP were selected as study subjects, and 80 healthy children were selected as controls. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of miR-98-5p. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the diagnostic value of miR-98-5p. The risk factors for MPP with diarrhea were analyzed by means of a logistic regression model. THP-1 cell models with miR-98-5p overexpression and knockdown were established to investigate the potential mechanisms of miR-98-5p in MP Infection.

Results: Serum miR-98-5p expression is decreased among children having MPP, and it has a negative correlation with the logMP-DNA level. The miR-98-5p level in children with MPP accompanied by diarrhea is lower compared to that in children with MPP alone. miR-98-5p demonstrates promising diagnostic potential for MPP complicated with diarrhea, and serves as a risk factor for diarrhea in MP-infected children. TargetScan database prediction showed that potential target genes of miR-98-5p, including Synaptotagmin 1 (SYT1) and Tribbles pseudokinase 1(TRIB1), are both associated with digestive system injury induced by MP Infection.

Conclusions: The expression of serum miR-98-5p is decreased in children with MPP complicated by diarrhea, and it may become a diagnostic biomarker.

Diagnosis; Diarrhea; MP; miR-98-5p.