Molecular identification of Mucorales in human tissues: contribution of PCR electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2015.01.017
• Publication Date: 2015-01-28T17:38:55Z
• Authors: A. Alanio; D. Garcia-Hermoso; S. Mercier-Delarue; F. Lanternier; M. Gits-Muselli; J. Menotti; B. Denis; A. Bergeron; M. Legrand; O. Lortholary; S. Bretagne
• Keywords: Microbiology (medical); Microbiological Techniques; 0301 basic medicine; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Time Factors; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Culture; electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; mucormycosis; Polymerase Chain Reaction; 03 medical and health sciences; Pathology; Humans; Mucormycosis; Prospective Studies; Pathology, Molecular; DNA, Fungal; [SDV.MP.MYC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Mycology; Spectrometry; Electrospray Ionization; Molecular; DNA; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Mass; 3. Good health; Fungal; Mucorales identification; PCR; species level; Infectious Diseases; Mucorales; Sequence Analysis

Molecular methods are crucial for mucormycosis diagnosis because cultures are frequently negative, even if microscopy suggests the presence of hyphae in tissues. We assessed PCR/electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS) for Mucorales identification in 19 unfixed tissue samples from 13 patients with proven or probable mucormycosis and compared the results with culture, quantitative real-time PCR, 16S-23S rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer region (ITS PCR) and 18S PCR sequencing. Concordance with culture identification to both genus and species levels was higher for PCR/ESI-MS than for the other techniques. Thus, PCR/ESI-MS is suitable for Mucorales identification, within 6 hours, for tissue samples for which microscopy results suggest the presence of hyphae.