Association between Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, high-density lipoprotein metabolism and cardiovascular health (Review)

The association between Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) infection, high-density lipoprotein metabolism and cardiovascular disease is an emerging research area. The present review summarizes the basic characteristics of M. pneumoniae infection and its association with high-density lipoprotein and cardiovascular health. M. pneumoniae primarily invades the respiratory tract and damages the cardiovascular system through various mechanisms including adhesion, invasion, secretion of metabolites, production of autoantibodies and stimulation of cytokine production. Additionally, the present review highlights the potential role of high-density lipoprotein for the development of prevention and intervention of M. pneumoniae infection and cardiovascular disease, and provides suggestions for future research directions and clinical practice. It is urgent to explore the specific mechanisms underlying the association between M. pneumoniae infection, high-density lipoprotein metabolism, and cardiovascular disease and analyze the roles of the immune system and inflammatory response.