Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for detection of antibodies against Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The results of ELISA were compared with those of other serological methods, such as complement fixation, metabolic inhibition, mycoplasmacidal test, and radioimmunoprecipitation. ELISA and mycoplasmacidal test showed greater sensitivity than did complement fixation and metabolic inhibition. Radioimmunoprecipitation showed serum titers 2- to 16-fold higher. Specificity of ELISA was determined by testing other human mycoplasmas. A simplified method based on the determination of ELISA antibody end-point titer by a single serum dilution is proposed.