Evaluation of eight commercial tests for Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibodies in the absence of acute infection

• Published in: Clinical microbiology and infection Vol. 12; no. 7; pp. 685 - 688
• Main Authors: Nir-Paz, R., Michael-Gayego, A., Ron, M., Block, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2006; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Assays; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; diagnosis; Humans; IgG; IgM; Immunoassay - methods; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Mass Screening - methods; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Mycoplasma pneumoniae - immunology; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma - diagnosis; Predictive Value of Tests; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic - standards; serology; IgG; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; diagnosis; IgM; serology; Assays; Antibody; Acute; Serology; Mycoplasmataceae; Infection; Mollicutes; Mycoplasmatales; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Diagnosis; Mycoplasmal infection
• ISSN: 1198-743X; 1469-0691
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2006.01469.x

Eight commercially available tests for Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Serodia-Myco II, Labsystems IgM and IgG EIA, IgM and IgG LISA tests, ImmunoWell IgG test and SeroMP IgM and IgG) were compared using 204 single sera from healthy individuals. IgM peaked in late childhood and then declined, while IgG rose progressively into adulthood. Inter-assay agreement was poor. Positivity in Serodia-Myco II and LISA IgG was associated with blood group or Coombs positivity, suggesting non-specific reactions. The study confirmed that single serum serology is unsuitable for the diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infection, and that commercially available tests need further improvement.