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The importance of macrolide-resistant (MR) Mycoplasma pneumoniae has become much more apparent in the past decade. We investigated differences in the therapeutic efficacies of macrolides, minocycline, and tosufloxacin against MR M. pneumoniae. A total of 188 children with M. pneumoniae pneumonia confirmed by culture and PCR were analyzed. Of these, 150 patients had a strain with an MR gene and 134 had one with an A-to-G mutation at position 2063 of M. pneumoniae 23S rRNA domain V. Azithromycin (n ‫؍‬ 27), clarithromycin (n ‫؍‬ 23), tosufloxacin (n ‫؍‬ 62), or minocycline (n ‫؍‬ 38) was used for definitive treatment of patients with MR M. pneumoniae. Defervescence within 48 h after the initiation of antibiotic therapy was observed in 41% of the patients in the azithromycin group, 48% of those in the clarithromycin group, 69% of those in the tosufloxacin group, and 87% of those in the minocycline group. The average number of days of fever after the administration of antibiotic treatment was lower in the minocycline and tosufloxacin groups than in the macrolide groups. The decrease in the M. pneumoniae burden, as estimated by the number of DNA copies, after 48 to 96 h of treatment was more rapid in patients receiving minocycline (P ‫؍‬ 0.016) than in those receiving tosufloxacin (P ‫؍‬ 0.049), azithromycin (P ‫؍‬ 0.273), or clarithromycin (P ‫؍‬ 0.107). We found that the clinical and bacteriological efficacies of macrolides against MR M. pneumoniae pneumonia was low. Our results indicated that minocycline rather than tosufloxacin can be considered the first-choice drug for the treatment of M. pneumoniae pneumonia in children aged >8 years.

We conducted nationwide surveillance to investigate regional differences in macrolide-resistant (MR) Mycoplasma pneumoniae strains in Japan. The prevalence of MR M. pneumoniae in pediatric patients gradually increased between 2008 and 2012. Although regional differences were observed, high levels of MR genes were detected in all seven surveillance areas throughout Japan and ranged in prevalence from 50% to 93%. These regional differences were closely related to the previous administration of macrolides.

The microbiological and clinical efficacies of macrolides for treating patients with MR M. pneumoniae pneumonia were low. These results show that macrolides are clearly less effective in patients with MR M. pneumoniae pneumonia.