Rapid diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children with pneumonia by an immuno-chromatographic antigen assay.

Abstract

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a particularly important pathogen that causes community acquired pneumonia in children. In this study, a rapid test was developed to diagnose M. pneumoniae by using a colloidal gold-based immuno-chromatographic assay which targets a region of the P1 gene. 302 specimens were analyzed by the colloidal gold assay in parallel with real-time PCR. Interestingly, the colloidal gold assay allowed M. pneumoniae identification, with a detection limit of 1 × 10(3) copies/ml. 76 samples were found to be positive in both real-time PCR and the colloidal gold assay; two specimens positive in real-time PCR were negative in the rapid colloidal gold assay. The specificity and sensitivity of the colloidal gold assay were 100% and 97.4%, respectively. These findings indicate that the newly developed immuno-chromatographic antigen assay is a rapid, sensitive and specific method for identifying M. pneumoniae, with potential clinical application in the early diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

• Authors: Wei Li, Yujie Liu, Yun Zhao, Ran Tao, Yonggang Li, Shiqiang Shang
• Journal: Scientific reports (Sci Rep) Vol. 5 Pg. 15539 (Oct 21 2015) ISSN: 2045-2322 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 26486047 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• DNA, Bacterial
• Gold

Topics

• Adolescent
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Chromatography, Affinity (methods)
• DNA, Bacterial (immunology, isolation & purification)
• Female
• Gold (chemistry)
• Humans
• Infant
• Male
• Mycoplasma pneumoniae (isolation & purification, pathogenicity)
• Pneumonia, Mycoplasma (diagnosis, immunology, pathology)
• Sputum (microbiology)