Clinical use of capillary PCR to diagnose Mycoplasma pneumonia

In the present study, serologic data were compared with data obtained by ca pillary PCR to establish the efficacy of capillary PCR for the determinatio n of Mycoplasma infection in samples obtained from throat swabs, bronchoalv eolar lavage fluids (BALF), and sputum of patients with Mycoplasma. pneumon ia. We performed PCR analysis for Mycoplasma DNA on a total of 325 samples from 197 patients with community-acquired pneumonia and in whom Mycoplasma pneumonia,vas suspected. There were 68 PCR-positive specimens. Review of th e differences in PCR positivity rates based on the site of specimen collect ion showed the highest rate of detection (28.6%) from throat swabs. From am ong the 31 patients with significantly elevated titers of serum Mycoplasma antibodies, the PCR results were positive for 25 patients. Thus, capillary PCR had a sensitivity of 80.6% (25 of 31), Five of the six false-negative r esults were from throat swab specimens. Moreover, testing (PCR) had been pe rformed only once for these five patients with false-negative results. From among the PCR-positive findings from BALF specimens, there were no false-p ositive results. BALF specimens were very useful, except for the technical procedures and increased patient burden required to obtain these specimens. We suggest that the use of throat swab specimens in capillary PCR is much more suitable for diagnosing Mycoplasma pneumonia in routine clinical pract ice; however, careful throat swab specimen collection and an increase in th e number of times that the PCR is performed are necessary to reduce the rat e of false-negative results.