In order to establish a causal relationship between mycoplasma infection and disease, it is important to demonstrate, not only mycoplasma presence, but also if specific antibody responses to mycoplasma occur in patients with the disease. Due to unique characteristics of mycoplasma, current diagnostic methods are focused on detection of the bacteria itself, but are unable to distinguish between colonized subjects (symptomatic and asymptomatic patients) and those who have developed a disease due to chronic and silent infection by urogenital mycoplasmas.
A major challenge in mycoplasma and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) diagnosis is that disease can be mostly asymptomatic, until a post-infection pathology develops. The early detection of asymptomatic STI is essential to avoid morbidity and transmission with sexual partners and congenital transmission and thus requires widespread screening. Early treatment of asymptomatic but infected patients is vital in order to control the disease in the subject and the spread of the infection.
Based on the knowledge and expertise of over 20 years, Promyco Diagnostics is developing the first quantitative highly specific and sensitive serological kits which will determine the immune response in the patient, by measuring specific antibodies to urogenital mycoplasmas.
Our immunological kits will compliment the direct detection of urogenital mycoplasma.
Our product pipeline, currently in advanced stages of development, includes serological kits for the detection of antibodies specific anti-Ureaplasma, M. hominis, M. genitalium and M. fermentans.
►Only certain species of urogenital mycoplasma cause disease and not every carrier person will develop disease
►Detecting the presence of mycoplasma alone will not signify whether or not mycoplasma is the disease causing agent
►Humoral immune response (presence of anti-mycoplasma antibodies in the blood or other fluids) is indicative of mycoplasma as the disease causing agent
►Clinicians should test for mycoplasma presence AND for anti-mycoplasma antibodies
