Effect of Acetylcysteine Combined with Methylprednisolone on Lung Function and Serum CRP and CXCL8 Levels in Patients with Mycoplasmal Pneumonia

Zhao Feng; Luo Lu

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1004-5775.2025.15.021

Abstract：Objective:To analyze the efficacy of the combination of acetylcysteine and methylprednisolone in the treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP)and its effects on serum C-reactive protein(CRP)and CXC chemokine ligand 8(CXCL8).Methods:A total of 82 children with MPP admitted to the hospital from November 2021 to November 2022 were randomly divided into study group(41 cases)and control group(41 cases)according to the order of treatment.The study group underwent treatment with a combination of acetylcysteine and methylprednisolone,while the control group was solely treated with methylprednisolone.After 10 days of treatment,the efficacy,length of hospital stay and symptom relief time,lung function[peak expiratory flow(PEF),forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1),FEV1/forced vital capacity(FVC)],immune function[immunoglobulin M(IgM),immunoglobulin A(IgA),immunoglobulin G(IgG)],CRP,CXCL8,interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)levels were compared between the two groups.Results:After 10 days of treatment,the total effective rate of the study group(92.68％)was higher than that of the control group(75.61％).The length of hospital stay and the remission time of various symptoms were all shorter than those of the control group.The levels of PEF,FEV1 and FEV1/FVC in the study group were higher than those in the control group.The levels of IgM,IgA and IgG in the study group were higher than those in the control group.The levels of CRP,IL-6,CXCL8 and TNF-α in the study group were all lower than those in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(t=4.479,11.693,6.275,9.103,5.967,12.112,16.242,15.340,3.770,7.150,12.206,18.021,5.548,16.244,9.179;P＜0.05).Conclusion:The combination of acetylcysteine and methylprednisolone in the treatment of MPP can further improve the efficacy,reduce the level of inflammation,shorten the recovery process,and play an important role in improving lung function and immune function.