Objective To analyze the expression and clinical significance of serum pulmonary surfactant protein-A (SP-A), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in children with bronchiolitis.

Methods One hundred and three children with bronchiolitis were selected as the observation group, and 89 healthy children who underwent physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group. The serum levels of SP-A, IL-4, and TNF-α between two groups were compared; the levels of SP-A, IL-4, and TNF-α among children with different severity of disease were compared; the correlation between SP-A, IL-4, and TNF-α levels and severity of disease was analyzed; the predictive value of SP-A, IL-4, and TNF-α levels for children with severe bronchiolitis was analyzed.

Results The serum levels of SP-A, IL-4, and TNF-α of children in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P ＜ 0.01). The serum levels of SP-A, IL-4, and TNF-α of children were as follows: mild group＜moderate group＜severe group (P ＜ 0.05). The serum levels of SP-A, IL-4, and TNF-α were significantly positively correlated with the severity of disease (r = 0.972, 0.956, 0.961, P ＜ 0.01). In the prediction of children with severe bronchiolitis, the area under curve of combined detection with SP-A, IL-4, and TNF-α was 0.975, which was higher than that of single detection with SP-A, IL-4, and TNF-α (0.856, 0.777, 0.935).

Conclusions The serum levels SP-A, IL-4, and TNF-α of children with bronchiolitis are abnormally elevated, and the elevation is most significant in children with severe bronchiolitis. The three indicators are significantly positively correlated with the severity of disease, and the combined detection of the three indicators has certain predictive value for children with severe bronchiolitis.