Aim - improvement of efficiency assessment methods of
therapy of
mycoplasma infection in children with
bronchial asthma. The effectiveness of treatment of
mycoplasma infection in the period of exacerbation of
bronchial asthma in 250 children, aged 1 to 7 years, was evaluated. The children were on basic
therapy and received treatment with
azithromycin: three courses at a dose of 10 mg/kg of weight for 3 days with an interval of 4 days 5-7 days. Microbiological (culturing), immunological (DIF, AHAA), and genetic (PCR) methods were used to identify mycoplasma markers. The main focus was on identifying two species - M. pneumoniae and M. hominis, most commonly found in mycoplasma
respiratory infections, including
bronchial asthma. In 250 children with
bronchial asthma,
antigens of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma arthritidis and Mycoplasma fermentrans were detected in 62,8%, 42,8%, 46,8 %, 31,6%, 45,6% of cases, respectively. A detailed study of the presence of M. pneumoniae and M. hominis
antigens in the blood of 83 children with
bronchial asthma showed that before treatment, the detection rate of M. pneumoniae and M. hominis
antigens was 67.5% and 50.6%, respectively, in the CIC - 65.1% and 61.5%,
DNA in the blood serum - 4.8% and 16.9%, and in the CIC - 27.7% and 32.5%, respectively. From 7 CIC samples containing M. hominis
DNA and 2 CIC samples containing M. pneumoniae
DNA, atypical cultures of "mini-colonies" of M. hominis and M. pneumoniae were isolated, the specificity of which was confirmed not only by DIF and PCR, but also by the ability to grow on a solid medium for mycoplasmas.
After treatment by
azithromycin, the number of positive tests on
antigens and
DNA in free state and in structure of CIC significantly decreased. The identification of specific markers of mycoplasma cells in the comprehensive diagnostics of
mycoplasma infection in children with exacerbation of
asthma, increases the effectiveness of
therapy control for
mycoplasma infection and improves the prognosis of
bronchial asthma in patients.