Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in young children from China with community-acquired pneumonia.
Eighty-five cases community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children 5 years or younger, confirmed by chest X-ray, and 185 age-matched control patients with diarrhea or dermatitis from the Outpatient Department at Beijing Children's Hospital were enrolled into this study. Nasopharyngeal swab specimens were obtained from all subjects. Real-time PCR-based fluorescence assays were performed for Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. A nested PCR was also run for C. pneumoniae for comparison of assays. C. pneumoniae was found in 3 (3.5%) of CAP cases and in 4 (2.1%) of controls (P = 0.51). M. pneumoniae was found in 6 (7.1%) of CAP cases and in none of the controls (P = 0.001). The agreement rate of the 2 applied PCR methods used for C. pneumoniae detection was 98.5%. Our study demonstrates that M. pneumoniae may play a significant role in CAP affecting children up to 5 years in China, whereas C. pneumoniae in nasopharyngeal specimens was not associated with CAP in this age group.
Liu
Gang
G
Respiratory Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Talkington
Deborah F
DF
Fields
Barry S
BS
Levine
Orin S
OS
Yang
Yonghong
Y
Tondella
Maria Lucia C
ML
D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction