Usefulness of serum adenosine deaminase activity in the early diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumonia
Suga, M.; Nishikawa, H.; Ando, M.; Tanaka, F.; Akaike, T.; Sakata, T.; Kawano, O.; Ito, K.; Nakashima, H.; Araki, S.
Nihon Kyobu Shikkan Gakkai Zasshi 27(4): 461-466
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-1542 PMID: 2796054 Document Number: 336911
It is sometimes difficult to clinically diagnose mycoplasma pneumonia at an early stage before the rise of titer of antibody to Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Mycoplasma pneumonia may be related with T-lymphocyte activity, and its inflammatory process is different from that of bacterial pneumonia. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity is a predominant T-lymphocyte enzyme, and its plasma activity is high in diseases in which cellular immunity is stimulated. In this study, we have investigated 31 cases with pneumonia (11 cases of mycoplasma pneumonia and 20 cases of bacterial pneumonia) within 10 days after onset to evaluate the usefulness of ADA measurement in the diagnosis of mycoplasma pneumonia. Serum ADA activity in the group of mycoplasma penumonia was 32.1 .+-. 12.0 U/l (63.9 .apprx. 18.8 U/l), that of non-mycoplasma pneumonia 12.5 .+-. 3.3 (4.6 .apprx. 18.6) U/l, and that of normal control 14.0 .+-. 3.4 (6.3 .apprx. 19.3) U/l. ADA activity of the group of mycoplasma pneumonia was significantly higher than those of non-mycoplasma pneumonia and normal control (p < 0.001). These results suggest that serum ADA activity in patients with acute pneumonia may be useful for the early diagnosis of mycoplasma pneumonia.