The Journal of Practical Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (2): 327-333.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2026.02.019

• Treatise: Clinical Practice • Previous Articles    

Correlation of serum lncRNA THRIL, lncRNA NEAT1 with the severity and prognosis of neonatal pneumonia

Xin LIU1,Hongrui ZHANG1,Ying SHEN1(),Yuqiao DIAO1,Tao FAN2   

  1. 1.Department of Pediatrics,Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University,Shijiazhuang 050010,Hebei,China
    2.Department of Neonatology,Shijiazhuang Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital,Shijiazhuang 050032,Hebei,China
  • Received:2025-09-02 Revised:2025-10-17 Accepted:2025-10-17 Online:2026-01-25 Published:2026-01-22
  • Contact: Ying SHEN E-mail:ek66696446@163.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum long non-coding RNA tumor necrosis factor related heterologous ribonucleoprotein L (lncRNA THRIL) and long non-coding RNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (lncRNA NEAT1) and the severity and prognosis of neonatal pneumonia. Methods A total of 120 cases of neonatal pneumonia treated at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from August 2022 to August 2024 were selected as the observation group. These cases were divided into the mild-disease group (42 cases), the moderate-disease group (40 cases), and the severe-disease group (38 cases) based on the severity of the disease. According to the prognosis after 2 weeks of treatment, the pediatric patients were classified into the good-prognosis group (86 cases) and the poor-prognosis group (34 cases). Meanwhile, 120 healthy neonates who underwent physical examinations at the hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. The serum levels of lncRNA THRIL and lncRNA NEAT1 in the tested neonates were measured using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The clinical data of neonates with pneumonia were collected, and the immune inflammatory markers, namely soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), were detected. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify and verify the influencing factors associated with poor prognosis in neonates with pneumonia. Considering the predictive effect of serum lncRNA THRIL and lncRNA NEAT1 on the poor prognosis of these children, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the clinical value of each lncRNA individually and their combined value. Results The serum levels of lncRNA THRIL and lncRNA NEAT1 in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The serum levels of lncRNA THRIL and lncRNA NEAT1 gradually increased as neonatal pneumonia worsened (P < 0.05). When compared with the good-prognosis group, the proportion of cesarean section and the levels of serum sTREM-1, sIL-2R, lncRNA THRIL, and lncRNA NEAT1 in the poor-prognosis group were significantly elevated (P < 0.05). Serum sIL-2R, lncRNA THRIL, and lncRNA NEAT1 were identified as independent risk factors for poor prognosis in neonates with pneumonia (P < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) values of serum lncRNA THRIL, lncRNA NEAT1, and their combination in predicting the poor prognosis of neonatal pneumonia were 0.772, 0.808, and 0.930, respectively. Moreover, the AUC of the combination of the two was significantly higher than that of each index alone (Zcombination-lncRNA THRIL = 2.347, Zcombination-lncRNA NEAT1 = 2.217, P = 0.019, 0.027). Conclusion Serum levels of lncRNA THRIL and lncRNA NEAT1 are significantly elevated in neonates with pneumonia. Both lncRNA THRIL and lncRNA NEAT1 serve as risk factors for the poor prognosis of neonatal pneumonia, and their combination exhibits a favorable predictive effect on the prognosis of neonates with pneumonia.

Key words: neonatal pneumonia, long non-coding RNA tumor necrosis factor related heterologous ribonucleoprotein L, long non-coding RNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1, severity of illness, prognosis

CLC Number: