Feng Weiguo, Lin Ying, Wang Qiang, Qian Xiaoqin
Department of Laboratory, Shaoxing Keqiao Momen and Children's Hospital, No. 778 Keyan Avenue, Keqiao District, Shaoxing City, 312000, China.
Department of obstetrical, Shaoxing Keqiao Momen and Children's Hospital, Shaoxing City, 312000, China.
Ital J Pediatr. 2025 May 28;51(1):156. doi: 10.1186/s13052-025-01993-x.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a prevalent respiratory pathogen in children, with diagnosis typically relying on detecting MP DNA in nasal swabs or antibodies in blood samples. The relationship between MP DNA positivity and age in children is not well understood. We aimed to explore trends in MP DNA and antibody detection rates with age in a pediatric population.
This retrospective study analyzed data from 1,161 children under 14 years old hospitalized with suspected MP infection. The study included clinical presentations and laboratory tests, and all participants underwent chemiluminescence and nucleic acid detection for MP antibodies and DNA, respectively. We analyzed the relationship between age and MP DNA and antibodies in our study.
The mean age of the children was 49.7 ± 32.6 months. Laboratory data showed mild elevations in inflammatory markers and normal liver function tests, reflecting the generally moderate severity of MP infections. The study revealed that the positive rate of MP DNA was 9.0%, and it was negatively correlated with children's age (r = -0.21, P < 0.001). The positive rate of MP IgM antibody was 7.1%, and it was positively correlated with children's age (r = 0.18, P < 0.001). The positive rate of MP IgG antibody was 6.3%, and it was not correlated with children's age (r = 0.03, P = 0.36).
These results suggest that MP DNA detection identifies the MP infection earlier and more accurately than antibody detection and that younger children are more susceptible to MP infection than older children. Given the sensitivity and specificity of MP DNA found in young children in this study, it is recommended that it should be considered in routine clinical practice for early diagnosis and intervention.
肺炎支原体（MP）是儿童中常见的呼吸道病原体，诊断通常依赖于检测鼻拭子中的MP DNA或血样中的抗体。MP DNA阳性与儿童年龄之间的关系尚不清楚。我们旨在探讨儿科人群中MP DNA和抗体检测率随年龄的变化趋势。
这项回顾性研究分析了1161名14岁以下疑似MP感染住院儿童的数据。该研究包括临床表现和实验室检查，所有参与者分别接受了MP抗体和DNA的化学发光和核酸检测。我们分析了本研究中年龄与MP DNA和抗体之间的关系。
儿童的平均年龄为49.7±32.6个月。实验室数据显示炎症标志物轻度升高，肝功能检查正常，反映出MP感染总体严重程度一般。研究显示，MP DNA阳性率为9.0%，与儿童年龄呈负相关（r = -0.21，P < 0.001）。MP IgM抗体阳性率为7.1%，与儿童年龄呈正相关（r = 0.18，P < 0.001）。MP IgG抗体阳性率为6.3%，与儿童年龄无相关性（r = 0.03，P = 0.36）。
这些结果表明，MP DNA检测比抗体检测能更早、更准确地识别MP感染，且年幼儿童比年长儿童更容易感染MP。鉴于本研究中在年幼儿童中发现的MP DNA的敏感性和特异性，建议在常规临床实践中考虑将其用于早期诊断和干预。
