MALDI-TOF MS 'Revolutionizing' Diagnosis of Mold Infections

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) can better identify mold species, compared to traditional microscopic-based techniques, according to a study published in the December issue of Clinical Microbiology and Infection. The combination of continued adoption of MS platforms and the extension of MALDI-TOF MS technology into diagnosis of mold infections will further challenge traditional techniques, as has been seen with microbiological identification of bacterial infections. As with most infections in hospitalized patients, prognosis with mold infections is largely dependent on rapid and accurate diagnosis and the resulting initiation of appropriate therapy. Current diagnosis of mold infections involves error-prone, species identification based on microscopic examination by highly skilled mycologists, followed by DNA sequencing, when necessary. In the present study, the French researchers developed an extensive, in-house reference library (2,832 reference spectra with 708 strains from 347 species), which they incorporated into a routine laboratory analyses for mold identification. The accuracy of MALDI-TOF MS (Bruker) was compared with both traditional morphology-based identification and DNA sequencing both during a 4-month period in 2013 and using preserved samples from the same 4-month period in 2011. The researchers found that implementation of MALDI-TOF MS resulted in a “dramatic” improvement in identification of […]