[Rapid detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae-specific IgM]

The rapid diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is important in carrying out chemotherapy in appropriate manner. It is also essential to detect the specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) in order to diagnose infectious diseases. The ImmunoCard Mycoplasma kit (TFB. Inc./Meridian Diagnostics, Inc.) is a 10-min-card-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of IgM antibodies to M. pneumoniae. The ImmunoCard was compared with high density particle agglutination (HDPA) and cold hemagglutinin (CHA). The ImmunoCard test had 98.3% sensitivity, 51.4% specificity, and 72.5% agreement with HDPA (>or =320), but it had 94.3% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity, and 92.2% agreement with clinical diagnosis. Our results indicate that the ImmunoCard Mycoplasma IgM assay is a rapid, simple and valuable procedure which can be analyze small numbers of specimens using a less complicated technique and with no other equipment required. This means that the ImmunoCard is a cost-effective, energy saving and rapid procedure for the detection of M. pneumoniae-specific IgM.