Value of serum Mycoplasma pneumoniae immunoglobulin in the diagnosis of mycoplasma-related pneumonia in newborns

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is an important pathogen of neonatal acquired pneumonia in newborns. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infection is critical because timely antibiotic therapy can reduce drug overuse and prevent the development of bacterial resistance. Anti- M. pneumoniae immunoglobulin M (IgM) is an indicator of early infection that can persist for several months. Studies have shown that anti- M. pneumoniae IgA in adults is a reliable indicator of early M. pneumoniae infection. The aim of this study was to assess the association between M. pneumoniae IgA, IgM and IgG in mycoplasma-associated pneumonia. We recruited 80 newborns with pneumonia with potency of serum M. pneumoniae IgM positive or two sera anti- M. pneumoniae IgG increased by 4-fold. The potency of serum M. pneumoniae IgA, IgM and IgG were detected. The initial positive rates of IgM and IgA in M. pneumoniae were 63.6 and 33.8%, respectively, after infection. The positive rate of IgM and IgA in M. pneumoniae increased to 97.5 and 56.3%, respectively, at one week after infection. Compared with anti- M. pneumoniae IgA, anti- M. pneumoniae IgM has higher sensitivity in the diagnosis of neonatal mycoplasma-associated pneumonia. Detection of two sera can more effectively improve the diagnostic accuracy.