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Updated: Nov 4, 2025
Rapid Molecular Detection and Differentiation of Influenza Viruses A and B
Published on: January 30, 2017
SAA and CRP are potential indicators in distinction and severity assessment for children with influenza
Seyin Zou1, Jinjie Liu2, Zhiyong Yang1
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, China.
Insights
Serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) show promise in distinguishing severe from non-severe influenza in children. Age is a key factor for accurate assessment in influenza B cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Biomarkers
- Influenza Pathophysiology
Background:
- Influenza is a significant respiratory illness in children.
- Distinguishing severe from non-severe influenza cases is crucial for timely treatment.
- Clinical utility of C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) for severity assessment in pediatric influenza is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical value of CRP and SAA in differentiating non-severe from severe influenza in children.
- To compare the diagnostic performance of CRP and SAA, individually and in combination, for pediatric influenza.
- To investigate the influence of influenza type (A vs. B) on biomarker levels and severity.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of baseline characteristics and laboratory results from pediatric influenza patients.
- Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for evaluating combined diagnostic accuracy of biomarkers.
- Scatter-dot plots to compare differences in laboratory markers between non-severe and severe influenza groups.
Main Results:
- Influenza B was associated with higher rates of bronchitis and pneumonia; Influenza A with other serious symptoms.
- Significant differences in lymphocyte count, neutrophil count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), CRP, and SAA were observed between influenza A and B.
- Combined detection of SAA with other indicators improved differentiation of influenza from healthy children.
- Elevated CRP and SAA levels were found in severe influenza B, and elevated SAA in severe influenza A, compared to non-severe cases.
Conclusions:
- SAA and CRP are potential biomarkers for distinguishing influenza severity in children.
- Age adjustment is necessary when utilizing SAA and CRP for severity assessment in pediatric influenza B.
- Further research is warranted to validate these findings and establish clinical guidelines.
Purpose:
The clinical values of C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) to distinguish non-severe from severe influenza in children are rarely reported.
Methods:
Baseline characteristics and laboratory results were collected and analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used for combined detection of indicators for children with influenza, and scatter-dot plots were used to compare the differences between non-severe and severe influenza.
Results:
Children with influenza B had more bronchitis and pneumonia (P < 0.05) and children with influenza A had more other serious symptoms (P = 0.015). Lymphocyte count, neutrophil count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), CRP, and SAA performed differently among children with influenza A and B. Joint detection of SAA and other indicators could better separate healthy children from children with influenza than single indicator detection. The CRP and SAA levels of children with severe influenza B infection and SAA levels of children with severe influenza A infection were significantly elevated compared with children with non-severe influenza (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
SAA and CRP could be potential indicators in distinction and severity assessment for children with influenza; however, age should be taken into account when using them in children with influenza B.
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