Red-cell IgM-antibody capture assay for the detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae-specific IgM

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 100; no. 1; pp. 101 - 109
• Main Authors: Coombs, R. R. A., Easter, Gwen, Matejtschuk, P., Wreghitt, T. G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01-02-1988
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antibodies, Bacterial - analysis; Antigens; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Cell membranes; Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; Erythrocytes; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Immunoassay; Immunoglobulin M - analysis; Immunology; Infections; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Mycoplasma; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Mycoplasma pneumoniae - immunology; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma - diagnosis; Reagents; Ungulates; Mollicutes; Human; Infection; Mycoplasmatales; Antibody; Bacteriosis; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Bacteria; Diagnosis; Detection; Mycoplasmataceae; IgM
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268800065602

A red-cell IgM-antibody capture assay has been developed for detecting Mycoplasma pneumoniae-specific IgM, which is based on the adsorption or ‘capture’ of IgM from patients' sera onto so-called ‘inagglutinable’ bovine red cells, chemically linked with anti-human μ When M. pneumoniae antigen is added to the system, the red cells agglutinate in the presence of M. pneumoniae-specific IgM. The test was compared with the μ-capture ELISA described by Wreghitt & Sillis (1985), and was found to give comparable results. The two tests had similar sensitivity and specificity and could detect M. pneumoniae-spcific IgM for a similar time (up to 6 months) after proven M. pneumoniae infection. However, the red-cell antibody capture assay is a much more simple and rapid test, taking only 1 h to perform (compared to 24 h for μ-capture ELISA). The redcell IgM-antibody capture assay is therefore amenable to rapid diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infection and the institution of early appropriate antibiotic therapy.