title: Community-acquired pneumonia in children due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae: diagnostic performance of a seminested 16S rDNA-PCR.
abstract: A 16S rDNA-PCR assay for Mycoplasma pneumoniae applied to nasopharyngeal secretion (NPS) or pharyngeal swab (PS) from children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was prospectively compared to serological tests including complement fixation (CF) test, a mu-capture enzyme immuno assay (EIA) for the detection of specific IgM, and an EIA for the detection of specific IgG. During a 24-months-period diagnosis of active M. pneumoniae infection was established in 32 (12.6%) of 253 patients for whom paired sera were available. In the acute phase, the sensitivities of PCR from NPS and PS, CF test, IgM EIA, and IgG EIA were 90.0%, 79.3%, 46.9%, 78.1%, and 59.4%, respectively. The corresponding specificities were 98.1%, 98.6%, 97.6%, 87.1%, and 72.4%, respectively. Thus, the 16S rDNA-PCR assay provides a highly sensitive and accurate tool for the rapid diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infection in children with CAP.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, CH-8032, Zurich, Switzerland. david.nadal@kispi.unizh.ch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nadal
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bossart
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zucol
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lips
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altwegg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007223:Infant; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S