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Abstract

Objective: Severe pediatric pneumonia is characterized by acute onset and rapid progression, posing a serious threat to patients' lives. Accurate assessment of the severity of pneumonia is essential for clinical decision-making and prognostication. Studies of acute lung injury and lung cancer have revealed a significant increase in the expression of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1) in cells, suggesting that SNHG1 is likely to play an important role in the progression of lung disease. Methods: 72 children with mild pneumonia, 58 children with severe pneumonia and 135 healthy children were selected as study subjects. The expression level of SNHG1 was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC), Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were applied to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of SNHG1 for pneumonia. Cell models were constructed using Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to verify the effects of SNHG1 on cell function and inflammation. Results: SNHG1 expression levels were elevated in children with pneumonia (P < 0.050), and were significantly higher in those with severe pneumonia compared to those with mild disease (P < 0.050). ROC curve analysis showed that SNHG1 had feasible diagnostic value in distinguishing children with pneumonia from healthy children, and in distinguishing children with mild pneumonia from those with severe. Children with pneumonia who have high SNHG1 levels have a higher mortality rate. SNHG1 can be used as an independent predictor of mortality in patients with pneumonia. Silencing of SNHG1 enhanced cell viability and decreased apoptosis rate and inflammatory factor levels in vitro. Conclusion: LncRNA SNHG1 is able to serve as a biomarker of severe pneumonia, informing pneumonia risk stratification and prognosis. In vitro down-regulation of lncRNA SNHG1 protects lung cells from inflammation and enhances cell survival.

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