Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae by using the polymerase chain reaction.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to detect Mycoplasma pneumoniae. A specific DNA sequence for M. pneumoniae was selected from a genomic library, and two oligonucleotides were chosen in this sequence to give an amplified fragment of 144 base pairs. We show that DNA from different M. pneumoniae strains can be detected by PCR, with DNA from other Mycoplasma species giving negative results. Analysis of biological samples (throat swabs) obtained from hamsters that were experimentally infected with M. pneumoniae showed that PCR was more sensitive and reliable than conventional culture techniques for the detection of M. pneumoniae. Initial experiments on artificially seeded human bronchoalveolar lavages showed that PCR can be used to detect 10(2) to 10(3) organisms.