Effects of adjuvant pidotimod therapy on levels of inflammatory factors and expressions of serum GM-CSF and KL-6 in elderly patients with mycoplasma pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE To observe the intervention effects of adjuvant pidotimod therapy on the serum inflammatory factor and GM-CSF and KL-6 expression levels in elderly mycoplasma pneumonia patients. METHODS Elderly patients (n=104) diagnosed with mycoplasma pneumonia were divided into a control group (52 cases, given conventional anti-infective therapy combined with ambroxol) and a research group (52 cases, given conventional anti-infective therapy combined with ambroxol + pidotimod) according to the different treatment methods each patient was administered. The pulmonary function indexes (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC), the serum inflammatory factor levels (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, the tumor necrosis factor α), the serum granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and the Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) expression levels were measured before and after the treatment. The cough stopping times, the rale disappearance times, the hospital stay durations, the overall response rates, the incidences of adverse reactions during the administration, and the recurrence rates at 3, 6, and 12 months after the treatment were recorded. RESULTS The research group had shorter cough stopping times, rale disappearance times, and hospital stays than the control group (all P<0.05). After the treatment, the FVC, FVE1, and FVE1/FVC levels in both groups were increased, and the research group had higher levels than the control group (all P<0.05). After the treatment, the serum tumor necrosis factor α, IL-6, IL-8, GM-CSF, and KL-6 levels in the two groups were significantly decreased, and the levels of these indicators in the research group were significantly lower than they were in the control group (all P<0.05). The total overall treatment response rate was higher, and the recurrence rate at 12 months after the treatment was significantly lower in the research group than they were in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Adjuvant pidotimod therapy in the treatment of elderly patients with mycoplasma pneumonia can ameliorate patients' inflammatory responses and pulmonary functions, and reduce the serum GM-CSF and KL-6 factor levels, as well as the recurrence rate. Moreover, the combined medication is safe, and no significant increase in toxicity was found.