Text Box: DETECTION OF LEGIONELLA PULMONARY INFECTION WITH DNA PROBE AND ITS CLINCAL RESEARCH Lu J1 Zuo PJ2 Wan ChQ2 1Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China 2The Epidemiology Institute, Chinese Academy for Preventive Medicine, Beijing, China Objective: In order to evaluate the morbidity rate of legionella in pediatric pulmonary infection and clinical condition. Methods: Nasopharyngeal secretions of 40 children pneumonia cases were examined with Legionella pneumonia specific DNA probe labeled with digoxigennin and with serum indirect immunofluore scence assay (IFA) clinical manifestations were also studied in these cases. Results: Among the 40 cases 10 were positive with Legionella pneumophila DNA probe, the positive rate was 25%(10/40); with serological examination (IFA) 9 cases were positive with a positive rate of 22.5%(9/40). Clinical main manifestations included fever, cough, wheezing, lethargy and rales, dullness with percussion. A few case with proteinuria. In the hepatomegaly cases GPT were higher than normal, and returned to normal after recovery; 4 cases had lower immune functions and the mechanism for this phenomenon needed further study Erythromycin was given to all cases with significant improvement in clinical manifestations. Conclusion: DNA probe method can be used for further clinical and epidemiological research for Legionella pncumophila. 1039