Mycoplasma infections of the human respiratory tract

Abstract

Mycoplasma pneumoniae represents one of the common etiological agents causing interstitial pneumonia, but more often a long-lasting tracheobronchitis in children and also in adults. The incidence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae diseases varies considerably, major outbreaks being reported every 3 to 5 years. The pathomechanism of this agent is based on a unique, gliding motility, adhesion to respiratory epithelium cells and the induction of a pathological hyperstimulation of cellular response mechanisms of the host. Antigenic similarities between important functional sites of the adhesin of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and various host molecules might be one of the factors responsible for hindering the host-response mechanism and, moreover, failing to protect the host repeated colonization. These are indications of a near perfect adaptation of Mycoplasma pneumoniae to man, its only known host to date.