Diversity in Genotype Distribution of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Obtained from Children and Adults

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore whether there was any special genotype responsible for the high prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M.pneumoniae) infection in children. A total of 247 M. pneumoniae - DNA positive clinical specimens including 200 from children and 47 from adults collected in Beijing, China, during the same period were analyzed. We performed P1-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP), multi-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and detected the macrolide resistance-associated mutations in 23S rRNA of the clinical specimens. In the present study, we observed P1 genotype 1 and MLVA type M4-5-7-2 accounted for the majority of the cases across all ages in Beijing. Macrolide resistance-associated mutations of M.pneumoniae was also at a high level with 90.5% (181/200) in children and 76.6% (36/47) in adults. However, more diverse genotypes and a higher prevalence of macrolide resistance-associated mutations were found in the pediatric specimens. Further investigations are warranted to help to explain the difference of morbidity and molecular characteristic in demographic spectrum.