title: [The clinical diagnostic significance on detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae antigen in upper respiratory tract epithelium].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the early diagnosis of pulmonary mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection by detection of MP antigen in upper respiratory tract epithelium.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study on respiratory MP infection was conducted in 110 patients with acute respiratory infection from February 1996 to November 1997 in our hospital. Upper respiratory tract epithelia were collected from gargle and MP antigen was detected by immunofluorescent assay (IFA). At the same time, serum samples were taken and immunoglobulin M (IgM) fractions of specific antibody to MP were assessed by the same method in 70 of 110 patients. Moreover, clinical features, cold agglutination test and chest X-ray were also collected for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rates of MP antigens and IgM antibody were 17% and 20%, respectively, while the titer on cold agglutination test > 1:8 in only two patients. The clinical features in patients with positive MP antigen and/or IgM antibody were similar to that of pulmonary MP infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Examination of MP antigen in upper respiratory tract epithelium collected from gargle combined with serum specific IgM antibody is a good method for the early diagnosis of pulmonary MP infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respirology, 304th Hospital, Beijing, 100037.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007075:Immunoglobulin M