Abstract
The use of a 16S rRNA based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection ofMycoplasma pneumoniae infection was investigated. Sputum samples from 34 patients with respiratory illness and evidence of pneumonia as judged by chest X-ray were analyzed by PCR and microbiological culture. Throat swabs from 14 healthy individuals were used as controls. For serology, an enzyme immunoassay for the detection of immunoglobulin M antibodies and a complement fixation assay were performed. Evidence ofMycoplasma pneumoniae infection was obtained in ten patients (29 %), eight of whom were found positive by both PCR and serology. Two of the sputum samples from these eight patients were negative by culture. Of the remaining two patients positive forMycoplasma pneumoniae, one was positive by PCR and culture but negative by serology, and one was found positive by serology but negative by PCR and culture. Thirteen of the 14 controls were negative by both PCR and serology. One control, however, was negative by serology but positive by PCR, which was probably due to asymptomatic carriage ofMycoplasma pneumoniae. The results of this study indicate the suitability of the PCR for the detection ofMycoplasma pneumoniae in clinical samples as well as its potential value as an additional tool for the diagnosis of infection.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Foy HM, Cooney MK, McMahan R, Grayston JT Viral and mycoplasmal pneumonia in a prepaid medical care group during an eight-year period. American Journal of Epidemiology 1973, 97: 93–102.
Siegler DIM Lung abscess associated withMycoplasma pneumoniae infection. British Journal of Diseases of the Chest 1973, 67: 123.
Couch RB Mycoplasma pneumoniae (primary atypical pneumonia). In: Mandell GL, Douglas RG Jr, Bennett JE (ed): Principles and practice of infectious diseases. Churchill Livingstone, New York, 1990, p. 1446–1458.
Clyde WA Jr Mycoplasma pneumoniae respiratory disease symposium: summation and significance. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine 1983, 56: 523–527.
Murray HW, Masur H, Senterfit LB, Roberts RB The protean manifestations ofMycoplasma pneumoniae infection in adults. American Journal of Medicine 1975, 58: 229–242.
Sillis M The limitations of IgM assay in the serological diagnosis ofMycoplasma pneumoniae infections. Journal of Medical Microbiology 1990, 33: 253–258.
Echevarria JM, Leon P, Balafagon P, Lopez JA, Fernandez MV Diagnosis ofMycoplasma pneumoniae infection by microparticle agglutination and immunocapture enzyme-immunoassay. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 1990, 9: 217–220.
van Griethuysen AJA, de Graaf R, van Drouten JAM, Hessen FWA, van der Logt JTM, van Loon AM Use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the early diagnosis ofMycoplasma pneumoniae infection. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1984, 3: 116–121.
Göbel UB, Geiser A, Stanbridge EJ Oligonucleotide probes complementary to variable regions of ribosomal RNA discriminate betweenMycoplasma species. Journal of General Microbiology 1987, 133: 1969–1974.
Hyman HC, Yogev D, Razin S DNA probes for detection and identification ofMycoplasma pneumoniae andMycoplasma genitalium. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1987, 25: 726–728.
Tilton RC, Dias F, Kidd H, Ryan RW DNA probe versus culture for detection ofMycoplasma pneumoniae in clinical specimens. Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease 1988, 10: 109–112.
Bernet C, Garret M, de Barbeyrac B, Bebear C, Bonnet J Detection ofMycoplasma pneumoniae by using the polymerase chain reaction. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1989, 27: 2492–2496.
Buck GE, O'Hara LC, Summersgill J Rapid, sensitive detection ofMycoplasma pneumoniae in simulated clinical specimens by DNA amplification. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1992, 30: 3280–3283.
Skov Jensen J, Søndergård-Andersen J, Uldum SA, Lind K Detection ofMycoplasma pneumoniae in simulated clinical samples by polymerase chain reaction. Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica 1989, 97: 1046–1048.
Kai M, Kamiya S, Yabe H, Takakura I, Shiozawa K, Ozawa A Rapid detection ofMycoplasma pneumoniae in clinical samples by the polymerase chain reaction. Journal of Medical Microbiology 1993, 38: 166–170.
Lüneberg E, Skov Jensen J, Frosch M Detection ofMycoplasma pneumoniae by polymerase chain reaction and nonradioactive hybridization in microtiter plates. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1993, 31: 1088–1094.
Skakni L, Sardet A, Just J, Landman-Parker J, Costil J, Moniot-Ville N, Bricout F, Garbarg-Chenon A Detection ofMycoplasma pneumoniae in clinical samples from pediatric patients by polymerase chain reaction. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1992, 30: 2638–2643.
Williamson J, Marmion BP, Worswick DA, Kok TW, Tannock G, Herd R, Harris RJ Laboratory diagnosis ofMycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Antigen capture and PCR-gene amplification for detection of the mycoplasma: problems of clinical correlation. Epidemiology and Infection 1992, 109: 519–537.
van Kuppeveld FJM, van der Logt JTM, Angulo AF, van Zoest MJ, Quint WGV, Niesters HGM, Galama JMD, Melchers WJG Genus- and species- specific identification of mycoplasmas by 16S rRNA amplification. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 1992, 58: 2606–2615.
van Kuppeveld FJM, van der Logt JTM, Angulo AF, van Zoest MJ, Quint WGV, Niesters HGM, Galama JMD, Melchers WJG Genus- and species-specific identification of mycoplasmas by 16S rRNA amplification. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 1993, 59: 655.
van Kuppeveld FJM, Melchers WJG, Willemse HFM, Kissing J, Galama JMD, van der Logt JTM Detection ofMycoplasma pulmonis in experimentally infected laboratory rats by 16S rRNA amplification. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1993, 31: 524–527.
Meis JM, van Kuppeveld FJM, Kremer JA, Nijhuis JG, Melchers WJG Fatal intrauterine infection associated withM. hominis. Clinical Infectious Diseases 1992, 15: 753–754.
van Kuppeveld FJM, Johansson K-E, Galama JMD, Kissing J, Bölske G, van der Logt JTM, Melchers WJG Detection of mycoplasma contamination in cell cultures by a mycoplasma group-specific PCR. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 1994, 60: 149–152.
Tully JG, Rose DL, Whitcomb RF, Wenzel RP Enhanced isolation ofMycoplasma pneumoniae from throat washings with a newly modified culture medium. Journal of Infectious Diseases 1979, 139: 478–482.
Bölske G Survey of mycoplasma infections in cell cultures and a comparison of detection methods. Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Mikrobiologie und Hygiene (A) 1988, 269: 331–340.
Rosendal S, Black FT Direct and indirect immunofluorescence of unfixed and fixed colonies. Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica Scandinavica 1972, 80: 615–622.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
van Kuppeveld, F.J., Johansson, K.E., Galama, J.M. et al. 16S rRNA based polymerase chain reaction compared with culture and serological methods for diagnosis ofMycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 13, 401–405 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01971997
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01971997