Friday, December 13, 2019
It is known that Mycoplasma pneumoniae very often leads to community-acquired pneumonia. In fact, the development of the disease is lengthy and gradual.
The first time Mycoplasma pneumoniae was obtained was in 1898. It was done in cattle affected by pleuropneumonia. In the year 1938, the first case of man being affected by mycoplasmal pneumonia was accounted by Reimann. He checked 7 patients in Philadelphia, who had obvious constitutional symptoms, upper and lower respiratory tract symptoms, and a protracted course with gradual resolution. Reimann named the disease “primary atypical pneumonia”.
Some years later, in 1943, a new phenomenon was found by Peterson. The scientist made a discovery of cold agglutinin. He also found high titers of cold agglutinins in those, who suffered from that type of pneumonia. A year later, a specific agent was discovered by Eaton. The agent was named after the scientist. So Eaton’s agent was identified as the main trigger of primary atypical pneumonia. Initially, it was regarded as a virus. However, in 1961 Eaton’s agent was detected as a Mycoplasma species.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae represents a pleomorphic organism, which is different from bacteria in a way that it does not have a cell wall. It is also different from viruses for it does not use a host cell in order to replicate. The disease is usually accompanied by the prolonged paroxysmal cough, which is considered to be caused by the inhibition of ciliary movement.
One of the specific characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae is its high gliding motility as well as peculiar filamentous tips end. These specific properties enable the organism to hide between cilia inside the respiratory epithelium. This in the end results in making the respiratory epithelial cells slough.
Another two qualities the organism possesses are held accountable for its pathogenicity in humans. Firstly, it is characterized by a selective affinity for respiratory epithelial cells. Secondly, it is capable of generating hydrogen peroxide. The latter is the major cause of the initial cell disruption within the respiratory tract as well as for destroying erythrocyte membranes.
The pathogenicity of Mycoplasma pneumoniae is proved to be connected with the activation of inflammatory mediators, such cytokines, for instance.
It should be said that in the majority of cases patients with the pneumonia recover without developing any serious complications. However, Mycoplasma pneumoniae sometimes leads to severe pneumonia in children. In addition, it has been proved lately to be connected with acute chest syndrome that develops in those patients, who suffer from sickle cell anemia.