Abstract:

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the smallest known cell organism, and is one of major pathogens causing community-acquired pneumonia. The symptoms of infection can differ widely in the early stages and can affect different organs in a body. Early diagnosis is challenging because early clinical symptoms and radiological examinations lack specificity and are prone to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis, which can threaten physical health. At present, both domestic and international M. pneumoniae detection mainly relies on laboratory diagnostic methods. This article begins by examining the intricate pathogenesis of M. pneumoniae, which includes adhesion damage, membrane fusion damage, invasion damage, toxicity damage, immune damage, and inflammatory damage. It also briefly explores commonly used molecular diagnostic techniques in the laboratory, such as nucleic acid isothermal amplification technology and variable temperature amplification technology. The isothermal amplification techniques include loop-mediated isothermal amplification（LAMP）, chain displacement reaction, sequence-dependent nucleic acid amplification（NASBA）, and recombinase-aided amplification（RAA）. Additionally, variable temperature amplification techniques refer to traditional polymerase chain reaction（PCR）, broad-range PCR, nested PCR, real-time PCR, and multiplex PCR. The text also includes a comprehensive discussion on biosensing platforms for M. pneumoniae detection, which encompasses lateral flow assay, electrochemical biosensors, fluorescence biosensors, and more. This manuscript aims to summarize the advantages and disadvantages of current M. pneumoniae detection techniques, providing a reference for early diagnosis. It also anticipates future non-extraction, integration, and rapid detection methods. Along with reduced costs, these advancements could enable patients to perform self-examinations at home, avoid unnecessary use of anti-infective drugs, and usher in a precision era for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Key words: Mycoplasma pneumoniae, nucleic acid molecular diagnosis, isothermal amplification, variable temperature amplification, biosensor