Demonstration of cross-reactive antibodies to mycoplasmas in human sera by ELISA and immunoblotting.

Varying levels of cross-reactivity to some mycoplasma species were observed in the sera of patients infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae and even in normal human sera by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The absorption of the patients' sera with M. pneumoniae lysate showed the decrease in ELISA titers not only to M. pneumoniae, but also to other mycoplasma species. These results suggested the existence of cross-reactive antibodies to mycoplasmas in human sera. Cross-reactive antibodies to M. pneumoniae and other mycoplasmas in the patients' sera were also demonstrated by Western blotting technique.