title: Evaluation of a new real-time PCR assay for detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in clinical specimens.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish and evaluate a real-time PCR assay to detect Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M.pneumoniae) in clinical specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  By analysing the whole p1 gene sequence of 60 M.pneumoniae clinical isolates in Beijing of China, an optimized real-time PCR assay (MpP1) using p1 gene conserved region was designed. The specificity and sensitivity of this assay were evaluated and compared with other two reported assays (RepMp1 and Mp181) using 40 positive and 100 negative clinical specimens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The detection limit of the new assay was 8.1 fg (about 1∼3CFU) M.pneumoniae DNA. The sensitivity of MpP1, RepMp1, and Mp181 assays appeared to be 100%, 100%, and 85%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MpP1 assay is suitable for the detection of M.pneumoniae in Chinese clinical specimens.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Li Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yu Dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Xiao Xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Shu Fan
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Fan Liang
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Jian Zhong
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA