Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1993 Dec;46(12):1120–1123. doi: 10.1136/jcp.46.12.1120

Comparison of three serological methods for diagnosing Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

M Karppelin 1, K Hakkarainen 1, M Kleemola 1, A Miettinen 1
PMCID: PMC501724  PMID: 8282837

Abstract

AIMS--To compare the novel Serofast latex agglutination test (International Mycoplasma, Toulon-Cedex, France) with the complement fixation test and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for diagnosing acute Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. METHODS--Paired sera from 60 patients with respiratory infection who had tested positive for M pneumoniae by complement fixation test were analysed with Serofast and indirect EIA for specific IgG and IgM antibodies. RESULTS--Serofast was less sensitive than the two other tests. Only 30 (50%) out of 60 paired sera which showed a diagnostic seroconversion or had high positive, unchanged antibody titres by complement fixation test or EIA, or both, tested positive with Serofast. Positive test results with Serofast were associated with the presence of a complement fixation test titre of > or = 512 and high positive IgM antibody titres measurable by EIA; virtually all patients with a complement fixation test titre of < 256 or those responding primarily in the IgG class tested negative with Serofast. Based on analysis of sera taken at the acute phase of infection, 10 (17%) of the 60 patients tested positive by complement fixation test, 10 (17%) by EIA, and only four (7%) by Serofast. CONCLUSIONS--Serofast was less sensitive than complement fixation test and EIA and it cannot be recommended as a replacement for either test in routine diagnostic use. It might prove useful in laboratories where non-specific tests, such as the determination of cold agglutinins, are still used for the diagnosis of M pneumoniae infection. Testing paired sera is, however, a prerequisite for obtaining acceptable sensitivity by Serofast as well as other serological methods currently available.

Full text

PDF
1120

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barker C. E., Sillis M., Wreghitt T. G. Evaluation of Serodia Myco II particle agglutination test for detecting Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibody: comparison with mu-capture ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence. J Clin Pathol. 1990 Feb;43(2):163–165. doi: 10.1136/jcp.43.2.163. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Busolo F., Tonin E., Conventi L. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibodies. J Clin Microbiol. 1980 Jul;12(1):69–73. doi: 10.1128/jcm.12.1.69-73.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dussaix E., Slim A., Tournier P. Comparison of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and complement fixation test for detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibodies. J Clin Pathol. 1983 Feb;36(2):228–232. doi: 10.1136/jcp.36.2.228. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Foy H. M., Grayston J. T., Kenny G. E., Alexander E. R., McMahan R. Epidemiology of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in families. JAMA. 1966 Sep 12;197(11):859–866. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Foy H. M., Kenny G. E., Cooney M. K., Allan I. D. Long-term epidemiology of infections with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. J Infect Dis. 1979 Jun;139(6):681–687. doi: 10.1093/infdis/139.6.681. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Foy H. M., Kenny G. E., McMahan R., Kaiser G., Grayston J. T. Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the community. Am J Epidemiol. 1971 Jan;93(1):55–67. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a121228. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hirschberg L., Holme T., Krook A., Vikerfors T. IgG response to Mycoplasma pneumoniae in patients with community-acquired pneumonia determined by ELISA. APMIS. 1988 Jul;96(7):605–610. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jacobs E., Bennewitz A., Bredt W. Reaction pattern of human anti-Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibodies in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and immunoblotting. J Clin Microbiol. 1986 Mar;23(3):517–522. doi: 10.1128/jcm.23.3.517-522.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kenny G. E., Kaiser G. G., Cooney M. K., Foy H. M. Diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia: sensitivities and specificities of serology with lipid antigen and isolation of the organism on soy peptone medium for identification of infections. J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Sep;28(9):2087–2093. doi: 10.1128/jcm.28.9.2087-2093.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kleemola M., Käyhty H. Increase in titers of antibodies to Mycoplasma pneumoniae in patients with purulent meningitis. J Infect Dis. 1982 Aug;146(2):284–288. doi: 10.1093/infdis/146.2.284. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kleemola S. R., Karjalainen J. E., Räty R. K. Rapid diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection: clinical evaluation of a commercial probe test. J Infect Dis. 1990 Jul;162(1):70–75. doi: 10.1093/infdis/162.1.70. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kok T. W., Varkanis G., Marmion B. P., Martin J., Esterman A. Laboratory diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. 1. Direct detection of antigen in respiratory exudates by enzyme immunoassay. Epidemiol Infect. 1988 Dec;101(3):669–684. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800029551. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Leinikki P., Pantzar P., Tykkä H. Antibody response in patients with acute pancreatitis to mycoplasma pneumoniae. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1973;8(7):631–635. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lind K., Bentzon M. W. Epidemics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in Denmark from 1958 to 1974. Int J Epidemiol. 1976 Sep;5(3):267–277. doi: 10.1093/ije/5.3.267. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mizutani H., Mizutani H. Immunologic responses in patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1983 Feb;127(2):175–179. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1983.127.2.175. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Moule J. H., Caul E. O., Wreghitt T. G. The specific IgM response to Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection: interpretation and application to early diagnosis. Epidemiol Infect. 1987 Dec;99(3):685–692. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800066541. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Pönkä A., Pönkä T., Sarna S., Penttinen K. Questionable specificity of lipid antigen in the Mycoplasma pneumoniae complement fixation test in patients with extrapulmonary manifestations. J Infect. 1981 Dec;3(4):332–338. doi: 10.1016/s0163-4453(81)91901-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Skakni L., Sardet A., Just J., Landman-Parker J., Costil J., Moniot-Ville N., Bricout F., Garbarg-Chenon A. Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in clinical samples from pediatric patients by polymerase chain reaction. J Clin Microbiol. 1992 Oct;30(10):2638–2643. doi: 10.1128/jcm.30.10.2638-2643.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Vikerfors T., Brodin G., Grandien M., Hirschberg L., Krook A., Pettersson C. A. Detection of specific IgM antibodies for the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections: a clinical evaluation. Scand J Infect Dis. 1988;20(6):601–610. doi: 10.3109/00365548809035660. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wreghitt T. G., Sillis M. A micro-capture ELISA for detecting Mycoplasma pneumoniae IgM: comparison with indirect immunofluorescence and indirect ELISA. J Hyg (Lond) 1985 Apr;94(2):217–227. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400061428. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES