RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae infections in children with pneumonia JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 241 OP 245 DO 10.1183/09031936.01.17202410 VO 17 IS 2 A1 S. Esposito A1 F. Blasi A1 F. Bellini A1 L. Allegra A1 N. Principi YR 2001 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/17/2/241.abstract AB The most common clinical signs, host responses and radiographic patterns were studied in 203 Italian children hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia in order to clarify the role of clinical and radiological characteristics in the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and/or Chlamydia pneumoniae infections.Antibody measurements in paired sera and polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal aspirates were used to establish the diagnoses of acute M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae infection, and the aetiologic data were correlated with the clinical, laboratory and radiographic data obtained on admission.No significant association was observed between evidence of M. pneumoniae and/or C. pneumoniae infection and periods of episode during the year, mean age of the study subjects, individual symptoms, physical findings or laboratory test results. Furthermore, no significant correlation was observed in relation to the radiological findings and M. pneumoniae and/or C. pneumoniae infection.This study shows that neither clinical findings nor laboratory parameters distinguished Mycoplasma pneumoniae and/or Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in children with pneumonia. Radiological findings also have a limited capacity to differentiate aetiologic agents. The priorities for future research include the development of rapid, easily accessible and cost-effective diagnostic tests useful for each episode of pneumonia in children.This work was supported in part by Abbott SpA, Italy.