The aim of this study was to explore whether there was any specific genotype responsible for the high prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children. A total of 247 M. pneumoniae-DNA positive clinical specimens including 200 from children and 47 from adults, collected in Beijing, China, during the same period, were analyzed. We performed P1-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP), multi-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and detected the macrolide resistance-associated mutations in 23S rRNA of the clinical specimens. In the present study, we observed P1 genotype 1 and MLVA type M4-5-7-2 accounted for the majority of the cases across all ages in Beijing. Macrolide resistance-associated mutants of M. pneumoniae were also at a high level with 90.5% (181/200) in children and 76.6% (36/47) in adults. However, more diverse genotypes and a higher prevalence of macrolide resistance-associated mutations were found in the pediatric specimens. Further investigations are warranted to help to explain the difference of morbidity and molecular characteristics across the demographic spectrum.
Keywords: Mycoplasma pneumoniae; genotype; macrolide resistance.