Rapid, sensitive, and specific identification of Metamycoplasma hominis from whole blood
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using LightCycler and Fluorescent Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)
Mycoplasma hominis
Metamycoplasma hominis
Whole Blood EDTA
Ship specimen refrigerated.
The high sensitivity of amplification by PCR requires the specimen to be processed in an environment in which contamination of the specimen by Metamycoplasma hominis DNA is unlikely.
Container/Tube:
Preferred: Lavender top (EDTA)
Acceptable: Royal blue top (EDTA), pink top (EDTA), or sterile vial containing EDTA-derived aliquot
Specimen Volume: 1 mL
Collection Instructions: Send specimen in original tube (preferred).
0.5 mL
All specimens will be evaluated at Mayo Clinic Laboratories for test suitability. |
Specimen Type | Temperature | Time | Special Container |
---|---|---|---|
Whole Blood EDTA | Refrigerated (preferred) | 7 days | |
Frozen | 7 days |
Rapid, sensitive, and specific identification of Metamycoplasma hominis from whole blood
Metamycoplasma hominis, previously Mycoplasma hominis, has been associated with a number of clinically significant infections, although it is also part of the normal genital flora.
M hominis may be found in the respiratory specimens and spinal fluid of neonates. Although the clinical significance of such findings is often unclear, as spontaneous clinical recovery may occur without specific treatment, in premature infants clinical manifestations of meningoencephalitis have been reported.
M hominis may play a role in some cases of pelvic inflammatory disease, usually in combination with other organisms. M hominis may be isolated from amniotic fluid of women with preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, spontaneous term labor, or chorioamnionitis; there is evidence that it may be involved in postpartum fever or fever following abortion, usually as a complication of endometritis.
M hominis has rarely been associated with septic arthritis (including prosthetic joint infection), pyelonephritis, intraabdominal infection, wound infection, endocarditis, central nervous system infection (including meningoencephalitis, brain abscess, central nervous system shunt infection and subdural empyema), pneumonia, and infected pleural and pericardial effusions. Extragenital infection typically occurs in those with hypogammaglobulinemia or depressed cell-mediated immunity; in lung transplant recipients in particular, M hominis has been associated with pleuritis and mediastinitis. Recent evidence implicates donor transmission in some cases of M hominis infection in lung transplant recipients.
Not applicable
A positive PCR result for the presence of a specific sequence found within the Metamycoplasma hominis tuf gene indicates the presence of M hominis DNA in the specimen.
A negative PCR result indicates the absence of detectable M hominis DNA in the specimen, but does not rule-out infection as falsely negative results may occur due to inhibition of PCR, sequence variability underlying the primers and probes, or the presence of M hominis in quantities less than the limit of detection of the assay.
Interfering substances may affect the accuracy of this assay; results should always be interpreted in conjunction with clinical and epidemiological findings.
Since Metamycoplasma hominis may be part of the normal flora, results should be interpreted accordingly.
This test does not detect other Metamycoplasmas or ureaplasmas (including Metamycoplasma pneumoniae, a common cause of community acquired pneumonia).
This test is not intended for medicolegal use.
Validation included spiking studies for Metamycoplasma hominis. Spiking studies were carried out using 30 EDTA whole blood and plasma samples spiked with genomic DNA for M hominis (as well as 10 unspiked specimens). Sensitivity and specificity was 100%.
1. Sampath R, Patel R, Cunningham SA, et al: Cardiothoracic Transplant Recipient Mycoplasma hominis: An Uncommon Infection with Probable Donor Transmission, EBioMedicine. 2017 May;19:84-90. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.04.026
2. Waites KB, Taylor-Robinson D: Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma. In Manual of Clinical Microbiology. 11th edition. Edited by JH Jorgensen. ASM Press, Washington, DC, 2015, pp 1088-1105
This PCR method employs a target-specific detection system including primers, as well as fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) hybridization probes designed for the tuf gene of Metamycoplasma hominis. The LightCycler instrument amplifies and monitors target nucleic acid sequences by fluorescence during PCR cycling. This is an automated PCR system that can rapidly detect amplified product development. The detection of amplified products is based on the FRET principle. For FRET product detection, a hybridization probe with a donor fluorophore, fluorescein, on the 3' end is excited by an external light source, which emits light that is absorbed by a second hybridization probe with an acceptor fluorophore, LC-Red 640, on the 5' end. The acceptor fluorophore then emits light of a different wavelength that is measured with a signal that is proportional to the amount of specific PCR product. The process is completed in a closed-tube system.(Cunningham SA, Mandrekar JN, Rosenblatt JE, Patel R: Rapid PCR Detection of Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Ureaplasma parvum. Int J Bacteriol 2013 Jan 30, DOI: 10.1155/2013/168742)
Monday through Friday
This test was developed, and its performance characteristics determined by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements. This test has not been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
87798
Test Id | Test Order Name | Order LOINC Value |
---|---|---|
MHBRP | Mycoplasma hominis PCR, B | 42621-3 |
Result Id | Test Result Name |
Result LOINC Value
Applies only to results expressed in units of measure originally reported by the performing laboratory. These values do not apply to results that are converted to other units of measure.
|
---|---|---|
44131 | Mycoplasma hominis PCR, B | 42621-3 |
MBSRC | Specimen Source | 31208-2 |
Change Type | Effective Date |
---|---|
Test Status - Test Resumed | 2022-02-14 |
Test Status - Test Down | 2021-12-17 |