Mechanisms of Long-Term Persistence of Mycoplasmas in Children with Asthma

Abstract

Improving the management of children with asthma associated with mycoplasma infection is important. Aim: To study the duration of the persistence of antigens, and DNA in a free state, in the structures of circulating immune complexes (CICs) and living cells of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mpn) and Mycoplasma hominis (Mh) in children with asthma. In total, 205 children with asthma from 1 to 14 years were observed. The reaction of aggregate-hemagglutination (AHAA), the direct immunofluorescence reaction (DIF), the reaction of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the culture method were used. In addition, 47 children were re-examined 1.5 months after the treatment of mycoplasma infection with azithromycin. The number of samples positive for antigens and DNA in the free state and in the structures of CICs significantly decreased. Then, 50 blood serum samples containing Mh antigens, and 50 samples containing Mpn antigens were analyzed by culture method. Mh was isolated in 21 (65.5%) of 32 samples containing DNA. Mpn was isolated from antigen-positive samples in nine cases. The presented data indicate the long-term persistence of antigens, and DNA of mycoplasma cells in the free state, in the structure of CICs, as well as in the form of “microcolonies”. A high level of CICs can be used to predict the course of the disease and the response to therapy.

Keywords

• mycoplasma infection
• asthma
• antigens
• circulating immune complexes
• DNA
• microcolonies