Rapid detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in clinical samples by real-time PCR

M. pneumoniae is a common causative agent of community-acquired pneumonia i n children. The diagnosis of such infections is usually based on serology u sing complement fixation or, more recently, enzyme-immune assays. PCR has b een shown to be a promising alternative. We have evaluated a real-time PCR assay targeting the pi adhesion protein gene and compared it to a conventio nal semi-nested PCR assay with the 16S rDNA as target. Comparison of 147 sp ecimens from 48 patients showed an overall agreement of 97.4%. Real-time PC R proved to be of equal value on clinical specimens as conventional PCR reg arding sensitivity and specificity, but is clearly advantageous regarding s peed, handling and number of samples that can be analyzed per run. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.