Objective To investigate the value of interleukin -6(IL-6), C reactive protein (CRP), and NEUT% trophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), white blood cell count (WBC), NEUT% trophil ratio (NEUT) for early diagnosis and severity assessment of Mycoplasma pNEUT% moniae pNEUT% moniae (MPP).

Methods A total of 84 pediatric patients diagnosed with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Based on established clinical criteria for disease severity, the patients were divided into the severe group (n = 42) and anon-severe group (n = 42). The clinical data were collected from 42 cases of healthy physical examination population as the healthy control group, comparing the IL-6, CRP and NLR, WBC, NEUT% levels in MPP Child patient and healthy control group; comparing the CRP, NLR, WBC and NEUT% levels in the severe and non-severe groups; ROC curve analyses of the clinical value of IL-6, CRP and NLR, WBC, NEUT% for the diagnosis of MPP by individual and combined tests; single-factor and multifactorial logistic regression; single-factor and multifactorial logistic regression; and single-factor and multifactorial logistic regression. The relationship betweenIL-6, CRP and NLR, WBC, NEUT% levels and the severity of MPP Child patient was analysed by single-factor and multifactor logistic regression models.

Results The levels of IL-6, CRP, NLR, WBC, and NEUT% were significantly higher in children with MPP than in healthy controls (P ＜ 0.01). The levels of IL-6, CRP, WBC, NLR and NEUT% in the severe group were higher than those in the non-severe group, and the differences were statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05 to P ＜ 0.01). The area under the curve (AUC) of IL-6, CRP and NLR, WBC, NEUT% for diagnosing MPP alone were 0.982, 0928, 0.693, 0.945, 0.924. The clinical value of combined detection was higher than that of single indicator detection. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis of IL-6, CRP and NLR, WBC and NEUT% were all independent risk factors affecting the severity of MPP Child patient (P ＜ 0.05 to P ＜ 0.01).

Conclusions Detecting changes in IL-6, CRP, NLR, WBC, and NEUT% levels can assist in the early diagnosis of pediatric MPP. Moreover, the levels of these five indicators are closely associated with disease severity, providing valuable guidance for clinical management and therapeutic decision-making.