THE DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF DETERMINATION OF IgM ANTIBODIES AGAINST MYCOPLASMA PNEUMONIAE BY THE INDIRECT IMMUNOFLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TEST

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The indirect fluorescent antibody technique for specific IgM [immunoglobulin M] and IgG [immunoglobulin G] antibodies and the complement fixation test were applied to paired sera from 33 patients with a current M. pneumoniae infection. A roughly parallel increase in antibody titers in all the 3 tests was observed; the ratio of IgM/IgG titers was higher in patients < 20 yr old than in older patients. Rises in antibody titers were regularly observed although most of the patients were treated with tetracycline or erythromycin during the acute phase of the disease. Serum specimens from 15 other patients lacking clinical data of a recent M. pneumoniae infection, but with stationary complement fixation titers, all showed IgG antibodies with stationary titers, and in all but 3, a negative IgM fluorescent antibody test. Sera from 20 individuals lacking complement fixing antibodies were also without demonstrable IgG and IgM antibodies. Sampling of serum from 9 of the pneumonia patients was repeated. The last IgM positive sample was collected up to 6 mo. after onset of the disease and all were negative in the IgM test 8-10 mo. after onset of the illness in these treated patients. The implications of these findings for the serological diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infections are discussed.