Mycoplasma pneumoniae

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
1995dkdj, x.jpg

Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Systematics
Department : Tenerife
Class : Mollicutes
Order : Mycoplasmatales
Family : Mycoplasmataceae
Genre : Mycoplasma
Type : Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Scientific name
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Somerson et al. 1963

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a bacterium and the most important causative agent of so-called "atypical pneumonia ". Also tracheobronchitis , laryngitis , meningitis , otitis media and other diseases can be caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. In addition, when humans are infected, it is associated with disorders of the haematopoietic (blood-forming) system, the central nervous system, the liver and pancreas, and cardiovascular syndromes.

properties

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a cell wallless bacterium and is very small compared to other bacteria (approx. 10% of the volume of Escherichia coli ). In contrast to other bacteria, it can not produce cholesterol itself, but has to absorb it from the environment. The germ has a special organelle with which it can attach itself to the ciliated epithelium of the respiratory tract. Other pathogenicity factors are superantigens and the production of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ).

Diseases

Mycoplasma pneumoniae does not occur in healthy people, but it is highly contagious. It is an important causative agent of atypical pneumonia . Children are particularly at risk. Epidemics have been reported in community facilities such as schools or military bases . Other diseases caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae are pharyngitis , tracheobronchitis , hemolytic anemia , which, however, mostly remains subclinical, maculopapillary erythema , muscle pain and various, sometimes serious, neurological diseases. Furthermore, a connection between infection with M. pneumoniae and the development of asthma is suspected.

proof

Infections with Mycoplasma pneumoniae are often detected by duplicating the DNA using a polymerase chain reaction and making it visible. Rapid tests based on the principle of the enzyme immunoassay are commercially available. Because it takes 6 weeks to cultivate mycoplasma, this method plays a subordinate role in the detection of pathogens in clinical questions. It is also possible to detect antibodies via a complement fixation reaction.

A clinical method to corroborate a suspected mycoplasma infection within a few minutes is to cool whole EDTA blood in an ice bath for 3 minutes. In 30-90% of those infected, cold agglutinins occur, which lead to a visible (reversible) clumping of the erythrocytes when exposed to cold.

You can also fill two sedimentation tubes, one at room temperature and the other in the refrigerator. Due to the cold agglutinins, the rate of sedimentation in the refrigerator is significantly increased compared to the rate of sedimentation at room temperature.

therapy

Since mycoplasmas do not have a cell wall, antibiotics that intervene in the biosynthesis of the bacterial cell wall (e.g. β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin or cephalosporins ) are ineffective. Instead, tetracyclines (e.g. doxycycline ), macrolides (e.g. azithromycin and clarithromycin ) or fluoroquinolones such as moxifloxacin or levofloxacin are given. No particular prophylaxis is known.

history

When they investigated atypical pneumonia, the researchers initially did not realize that Mycoplasma pneumoniae belongs to the bacteria. Mycoplasmas were too small to be made visible with the microscopes of the time. Nor could they be held back by bacterial filters. Therefore, the pathogen was simply called Eaton's agent .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Waites KB, Balish MF, Atkinson TP: New insights into the pathogenesis and detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. . In: Future Microbiol . 3, No. 6, 2008, pp. 635-648. doi : 10.2217 / 17460913.3.6.635 . PMID 19072181 . PMC PMC2633477 (free full text).
  2. ↑ a b Rüdiger Dörris: Medical Microbiology . Thieme Georg Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-13-125313-4 , p. 453-454 .
  3. ↑ LA. Vervloet, C. Marguet, PA. Camargos: Infection by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and its importance as an etiological agent in childhood community-acquired pneumonias. . In: Braz J Infect Dis . 11, No. 5, October 2007, pp. 507-514. PMID 17962878 .
  4. ↑ N. Nisar, R. Guleria, S. Kumar, T. Chand Chawla, N. Ranjan Biswas: Mycoplasma pneumoniae and its role in asthma. . In: Postgrad Med J . 83, No. 976, February 2007, pp. 100-104. doi : 10.1136 / pgmj.2006.049023 . PMID 17308212 .
  5. ↑ a b Dajani AS, Clyde WA, Denny FW: Experimental Infection with Mycoplasma Pneumoniae (Eatons's Agent). . In: J Exp Med . 121, 1965, pp. 1071-1086. PMID 14319403 . PMC PMC2138014 (free full text).
  6. ^ Marianne Abele-Horn: Antimicrobial Therapy. Decision support for the treatment and prophylaxis of infectious diseases. With the collaboration of Werner Heinz, Hartwig Klinker, Johann Schurz and August Stich, 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Peter Wiehl, Marburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-927219-14-4 , p. 219 f.

Web links

Commons : Mycoplasma pneumoniae  - collection of images, videos and audio files