Optimized serodiagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2012 Jun;73(2):200-3. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2012.02.014. Epub 2012 Apr 12.

Abstract

Serologic methods are well established for the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in humans, but they are less sensitive than polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To improve their sensitivity, a new panel of antigens was tested. Compared with PCR results, up to 92% of PCR-positive patients were confirmed by our immunoblotting approach having a specificity between 92.6% and 100%.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Antigens, Bacterial / chemistry*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Community-Acquired Infections / diagnosis
  • Community-Acquired Infections / immunology
  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology
  • DNA, Bacterial / analysis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting / methods*
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycoplasma pneumoniae / immunology
  • Mycoplasma pneumoniae / isolation & purification*
  • Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / diagnosis*
  • Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / immunology
  • Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / microbiology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Respiratory System / microbiology
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Serologic Tests / methods*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Recombinant Proteins