Clinical Characteristics and Cytokines of Children With Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Caused by Influenza A After...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Immunology

Background:

• Limited research exists on the clinical features and cytokine profiles of pediatric influenza A cases post-COVID-19.
• Understanding these characteristics is crucial for managing co-infections in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical characteristics and cytokine profiles of children with influenza A who have a history of COVID-19.
• To identify potential biomarkers for predicting the severity of influenza A in this population.

Main Methods:

• Hospitalized children with influenza A lower respiratory tract infection were categorized into mild and severe groups.
• COVID-19 infection status was assessed, and patients with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection were analyzed for clinical and cytokine differences.
• Statistical analyses, including logistic regression and ROC curves, were employed.

Main Results:

• A higher proportion of severe influenza A cases had a preceding COVID-19 infection compared to mild cases.
• Significant differences were observed in convulsions, bacterial co-infections, white blood cell (WBC) count, and interferon-induced protein-10 (IP-10) levels (P < 0.05).
• IP-10 and WBC count were identified as independent risk factors for severe influenza A post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, with their combination showing high diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Interferon-induced protein-10 (IP-10) and WBC count are valuable diagnostic biomarkers for severe influenza A following SARS-CoV-2 infection in children.
• Combining IP-10 and WBC measurements significantly improves the diagnostic performance for assessing disease severity.