New Insights into the Pathogenesis and Detection of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infections

Abstract

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in persons of all ages and may be responsible for up to 40% of community-acquired pneumonias. A wide array of extrapulmonary events may accompany the infections caused by this organism, related to autommunity or direct spread. This review includes a discussion of the latest knowledge concerning the molecular pathological basis of mycoplasmal respiratory disease, how the organism interacts with the host immune system and its association with the development of chronic conditions such as asthma, recent emergence of macrolide resistance and the status of laboratory diagnostic methods. Keywordsantimicrobial resistance; asthma; community-acquired pneumonia; cytadherence; enzyme-linked immunoassay; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; PCR Although more than 200 species in the genus Mycoplasma are now recognized, relatively few are pathogenic in humans. The best known and most intensely studied of these species is Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The initial descriptions of M. pneumoniae as a human pathogen, realization that it was not a virus, characterization of clinical manifestations of mycoplasmal respiratory disease, mode and extent of transmission, and development of serological assays began more than 40 years ago. However, very little was known at that time about how this mycoplasma interacts with and damages host cells, affects the immune system, and the extent to which it may mediate illness outside of the respiratory tract.Progress in understanding the biological properties of M. pneumoniae and its true role as a human pathogen have been hindered significantly over the years by its very slow replication rate (∼6 h), fastidious demands for successful laboratory cultivation and the relatively low sensitivity and specificity of the earliest complement fixation serological tests, which were much better suited for less antigenically complex viral pathogens. Until recent years, as more sophisticated laboratory techniques have become available, dependence on nonstandardized sero-logical tests performed in reference laboratories requiring measurement of antibodies in

Sequential Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and Chromobacterium violaceum skin abscess in a pediatric patient

“…Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common atypical respiratory pathogen and is responsible for 20% to 40% of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) cases in children and adults [1,2]. It accounts for up to 11% of the upper and lower respiratory tract infection (RTI) cases in children ≤ 14 years old, and around 21% and 6% in children aged ≥5 and ≤1 respectively [3].…”

“…Extrapulmonary manifestations have been shown occurring in up to 25% of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infected patients, more commonly in pediatric patients [4]. Coinfection with other respiratory viruses is common and occurs in up to 15% of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infected pediatric patients [2,3]. Co-infection or superinfection with bacteria other than Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae has been rarely reported [5,6].…”

Cambiando los paradigmas de la infección por M. pneumoniae en pediatría

“…Resultados falso-negativos pueden ocurrir si el suero es colectado después de la administración del tratamiento con antimicrobianos. 66 …”

“…9,68 Las ventajas de la PCR sobre el cultivo y la serología radican en una mayor sensibilidad, completar el proceso de la muestra en un solo día, la obtención de un resultado positivo en menor tiempo en comparación con la serología y el requerimiento de una sola muestra en la cual M. pneumoniae no necesariamente debe estar viable. 66 Las muestras clínicas disponibles para la prueba de PCR incluyen secreciones orofaríngeas y nasofaríngeas, esputo, lavado traqueobronquial y biopsia de pulmón. 65 Se ha sugerido que el uso de la PCR en combinación con la serología puede proporcionar un mejor diagnóstico y puede ayudar a distinguir entre colonización e infección verdadera.…”

Alzheimer’s Disease of the Immune System: A New Variant of Immune Deficiency

“…Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is an extracellular pathogen that attaches to ciliated epithelial cells of the respiratory tract mucosa and causes damage [18,19]. Linkages between both atopy and immune deficiency and MP have been described in various studies [20][21][22][23].…”