Comparison of two rapid commercial tests with complement fixation for serologic diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections.

The complement fixation (CF) test is the current reference serologic test for the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. However, it is reported to be insensitive and nonspecific, and it is labor intensive. To determine if a faster and more sensitive diagnosis of M. pneumoniae could be obtained, we examined 50 paired serum samples from patients with suspected M. pneumoniae infection by the CF test and two commercial rapid antibody detection kits, the Remel M. pneumoniae immunoglobulin G (IgG)-IgM antibody test system (Remel, Lenexa, Kans.) and the Seradyn Color Vue M. pneumoniae IgG-IgM kit (Seradyn, Indianapolis, Ind.). The Remel test, a 5-min qualitative immunobinding assay, detected antibodies in three patient serum samples with CF titers of 32 and in all but one sample with titers of > or = 64. The Seradyn test, a 40-min qualitative agglutination test, was less sensitive than CF or Remel. The Seradyn test was positive in 68% of cases, compared with 94 and 96% of cases tested by CF or Remel, respectively. Both commercial tests are faster and less technically demanding to perform than is the CF test.