Sensitivity and Specificity of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for the Detection of Mycoplasma Pneumonia from Nasopharyngeal Swab Samples Compared with

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay kit for the detection of Mycoplasma pneumonia (Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) from nasopharyngeal swab samples compared with those of real-time PCR. Methods: Nasopharyngeal swab samples taken from 223 patients aged 3 - 18 years who were suspected of having respiratory tract infections associated with Mycoplasma pneumonia were used in this study. The samples were tested both by the LAMP assay and by real-time PCR for detection of Mycoplasma pneumonia. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the LAMP assay for the detection of Mycoplasma pneumonia were 99.1% (105/106) and 100.0% (117/117), respectively. Conclusions: The LAMP assay for the detection of Mycoplasma pneumonia is an accurate and fast assay that is suitable as a diagnostic tool in the acute phase of Mycoplasma pneumonia infection.