Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight: a promising alternative method of identifying the major coagulase-negative Staphylococci species (original) (raw)

Identification of clinical coagulase-negative staphylococci, isolated in microbiology laboratories, by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and two automated systems

Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 2010

A study was performed to compare matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), linked to a recently engineered microbial identification database, and two rapid identification (ID) automated systems, BD Phoenix (Becton Dickinson Diagnostic Systems, France) and VITEK-2 (bioMérieux, Marcy L'Etoile, France), for the ID of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). Two hundred and thirty-four clinical isolates of CoNS representing 20 species were analyzed. All CoNS isolates were characterized by sodA gene sequencing, allowing interpretation of the ID results obtained using the respective database of each apparatus. Overall correct ID results were obtained in 93.2%, 75.6% and 75.2% of the cases with the MALDI-TOF-MS, Phoenix and VITEK-2 systems, respectively. Mis-ID and absence of results occurred in 1.7% and 5.1% of the cases with MALDI-TOF-MS, in 23.1% and 1.3% with the Phoenix, and in 13.7% and 0.9% with the VITEK-2 systems, respectively. In addition, with the latter automate, 10.3% of the IDs were proposed with remote possibility. When excluding the CoNS species not included in the databases of at least one of the three systems, the final percentage of correct results, Mis-ID and absence of ID were 97.4%, 1.3% and 1.3% with MALDI-TOF-MS, 79%, 21% and 0% with the Phoenix, and 78.6%, 10.3% and 0.9% with the VITEK-2 system, respectively. The present study demonstrates the robustness and high sensitivity of our microbial identification database used with MALDI-TOF-MS technology. This approach represents a powerful tool for the fast ID of clinical CoNS isolates.

Implementation of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry in Routine Clinical Laboratories Improves Identification of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci and Reveals the Pathogenic Role of Staphylococcus lugdunensis

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2015

The use of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for staphylococcal identification is now considered routine in laboratories compared with the conventional phenotypical methods previously used. We verified its microbiological relevance for identifying the main species of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) by randomly selecting 50 isolates. From 1 January 2007 to 31 August 2008, 12,479 staphylococci were isolated with phenotypic methods, of which 4,594 were identified as Staphylococcus aureus and 7,885 were coagulase negative staphylococci. Using MALDI-TOF MS from 1 January 2011 to 31 August 2012, 14,913 staphylococci were identified, with 5,066 as S. aureus and 9,847 as CoNS. MALDI-TOF MS allowed the identification of approximately 85% of the CoNS strains, whereas only 14% of the CoNS strains were identified to the species level with phenotypic methods because they were often considered contaminants. Furthermore, the use of ...

Evaluation of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry in comparison to rpoB gene sequencing for species identification of bloodstream infection staphylococcal isolates: Identification of staphylococcal isolates by MALDI-TOF

Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 2010

Clin Microbiol Infect 2011; 17: 44–49Clin Microbiol Infect 2011; 17: 44–49AbstractAs a result of variable expression of biochemical characters, misidentification by conventional phenotypic means often occurs with clinical isolates belonging to Staphylococcus species. Therefore, we evaluated the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification of 450 blood isolates of the most relevant staphylococcal species, using sequence analysis of the rpoB gene as the reference method. A correct species identification by MALDI-TOF was obtained in 99.3% (447/450), with only three isolates being misidentified. In addition, MALDI-TOF correctly identified all the staphylococcal subspecies studied, including Staphylococcus capitis subsp. capitis and subsp. urealyticus, Staphylococcus cohnii subsp. urealyticus, Staphylococcus hominis subsp. novobiosepticus and subsp. hominis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus subsp. saprophyticus, Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. schleiferi and Staphylococcus sciuri subsp. sciuri. Thus, MALDI-TOF MS-based species identification of staphylococci can be routinely achieved without any substantial costs for consumables or the time needed for labour-intensive DNA sequence analysis.As a result of variable expression of biochemical characters, misidentification by conventional phenotypic means often occurs with clinical isolates belonging to Staphylococcus species. Therefore, we evaluated the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification of 450 blood isolates of the most relevant staphylococcal species, using sequence analysis of the rpoB gene as the reference method. A correct species identification by MALDI-TOF was obtained in 99.3% (447/450), with only three isolates being misidentified. In addition, MALDI-TOF correctly identified all the staphylococcal subspecies studied, including Staphylococcus capitis subsp. capitis and subsp. urealyticus, Staphylococcus cohnii subsp. urealyticus, Staphylococcus hominis subsp. novobiosepticus and subsp. hominis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus subsp. saprophyticus, Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. schleiferi and Staphylococcus sciuri subsp. sciuri. Thus, MALDI-TOF MS-based species identification of staphylococci can be routinely achieved without any substantial costs for consumables or the time needed for labour-intensive DNA sequence analysis.

Identification of bovine-associated coagulase-negative staphylococci by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry using a direct transfer protocol

This study evaluated matrix-assisted laser desorp-tion/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS) for the identification of bovine-associated coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), a heterogeneous group of different species. Additionally, we aimed to expand the MALDI-ToF MS database with new reference spectra as required to fill the gaps within the existing commercial spectral library. A total of 258 isolates of CNS were used in the study, covering 16 different CNS species. The majority of the isolates were previously identified by rpoB gene sequencing (n = 219), and the remainder were identified by sequenc-ing of 16S rRNA, hsp60, or both rpoB and hsp60. The genotypic identification was considered the gold standard identification. All MALDI-ToF MS identifications were carried out using the direct transfer method. In a preliminary evaluation (n = 32 isolates; 2 of each species) with the existing commercial database, MALDI-ToF MS showed a typeability of 81% (26/32) and an accuracy of 96% (25/26). In the main evaluation (n = 226 isolates), MALDI-ToF MS with the existing commercial Biotyper (Bruker Daltonics Inc., Billerica, MA) database achieved a typeability of 92.0% (208/226) and an accuracy of 99.5% (207/208). Based on the assessment of the existing commercial database and prior knowledge of the species, a total of 13 custom reference spectra, covering 8 species, were created and added to the commercial database. Using the custom reference spectra expanded database, isolates were identified by MALDI-ToF MS with 100% typeability and 100% accuracy. Whereas the MALDI-ToF MS manufacturer's cutoff for species-level identification is 2.000, the reduction of the species level cutpoint to ≥1.700 improved the species-level identification rates (from 64 to 92% for the existing commercial database) when classifying CNS isolates. Overall, MALDI-ToF MS using the direct transfer method was shown to be a highly reliable tool for the identification of bovine-associated CNS.

Rapid identification of staphylococci isolated in clinical microbiology laboratories by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry

Journal of clinical …, 2007

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) of intact bacteria yields a reproducible spectrum depending upon growth conditions, strain, or species. Using whole viable bacteria we describe here the application of MALDI-TOF-MS to the identification of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). Our aim was, once a bacterium has been recognized as Micrococcaceae, to identify peaks in the spectrum that can be used to identify the species or subspecies. MALDI-TOF-MS was performed using bacteria obtained from one isolated colony. One reference strain for each of the 23 clinically relevant species or subspecies of Micrococcaceae was selected. For each reference strain, the MALDI-TOF-MS profile of 10 colonies obtained from 10 different passages was analyzed. For each strain, only peaks that were conserved in the spectra of all 10 isolated colonies and with a relative intensity above 0.1 were retained, thus leading to a set of 3 to 14 selected peaks per strain. The MALDI-TOF-MS profile of 196 tested strains was then compared with that of the set of selected peaks of each of the 23 reference strains. In all cases the best hit was with the set of peaks of the reference strain belonging to the same species as that of the tested strain, thus demonstrating that the 23 sets of selected peaks can be used as a database for the rapid species identification of CoNS. Similar results were obtained using four different growth conditions. Extending this strategy to other groups of relevant pathogenic bacteria will allow rapid bacterial identification.

Verification of molecular characterization of coagulase positive Staphylococcus from bovine mastitis with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, time-offlight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) mass spectrometry

African Journal of Microbiology Research, 2014

Besides Staphylococcus aureus, other coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (CPS) species such as Staphylococcus hyicus and Staphylococcus intermedius are implicated in bovine mastitis etiology. These species are often misdiagnosed as S. aureus. Also, some atypical S. aureus isolates can test negative for coagulase production and consequently be misdiagnosed as coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS). Several currently available methods for the identification of Staphylococcus spp., including molecular techniques, are widely used worldwide. Recently, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, time-offlight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been attracting attention for its fast and precise identification of several microorganisms at the species level. The present work evaluated the efficiency of a protocol for S. aureus characterization using PCR and M-PCR procedures. MALDI-TOF was considered the gold standard test to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the proposed identification protocol. Seventy-two Staphylococcus spp., isolates were evaluated. All samples were submitted to PCR for coa, nuc and 23S rDNA. Out of 33 isolates, genotypically characterized as S. aureus and confirmed by MALDI-TOF MS, 2 (6.1%) tested negative for coagulase production. Three isolates were identified as S. hyicus (2) and S. intermedius (1) by MALDI-TOF MS. The proposed molecular identification schedule achieved 100% sensitivity and specificity as compared to MALDI-TOF MS.

Comparison of Genotypic and Phenotypic Methods for Species-Level Identification of Clinical Isolates of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2005

To compare commonly used phenotypic methods with genotypic identification methods 47 clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS), 10 CONS ATCC strains, and a Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolate were identified using the API Staph ID test, BD Phoenix Automated Microbiology System, and 16S rRNA gene and tuf gene sequencing. When necessary part of the sodA gene was sequenced for definitive identification. The results show that tuf gene sequencing is the best method for identification of CONS, but the API Staph ID test is a reasonably reliable phenotypic alternative. The performance of the BD Phoenix Automated Microbiology System for identification of CONS is poor. The present study also showed that although genotypic methods are clearly superior to phenotypic identifications, a drawback of sequence-based genotypic methods may be a lack of quality of deposited sequences in data banks. In particular, 16S rRNA gene sequencing suffers from the lack of high quality among sequences deposited in GenBank. Furthermore, genotypic identification based on 16S rRNA sequences has limited discriminating power for closely related Staphylococcus species. We propose partial sequencing of the tuf gene as a reliable and reproducible method for identification of CONS species.

Comparison of methods for the identification of coagulase-negative staphylococci

Memorias Do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 2004

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) species identification is still difficult for most clinical laboratories. The scheme proposed by Kloos and Schleifer and modified by Bannerman is the reference method used for the identification of staphylococcal species and subspecies; however, this method is relatively laborious for routine use since it requires the utilization of a large number of biochemical tests. The objective of the present study was to compare four methods, i.e., the reference method, the API Staph system (bioMérieux) and two methods modified from the reference method in our laboratory (simplified method and disk method), in the identification of 100 CNS strains. Compared to the reference method, the simplified method and disk method correctly identified 100 and 99% of the CNS species, respectively, while this rate was 84% for the API Staph system. Inaccurate identification by the API Staph method was observed for Staphylococcus epidermidis (2.2%), S. hominis (25%), S. haemolyticus (37.5%), and S. warneri (47.1%). The simplified method using the simple identification scheme proposed in the present study was found to be efficient for all strains tested, with 100% sensitivity and specificity and proved to be available alternative for the identification of staphylococci, offering, higher reliability and lower cost than the currently available commercial systems. This method would be very useful in clinical microbiology laboratory, especially in places with limited resources.

Simple and Economical Method for Speciation and Resistotyping of Clinically Significant Coagulase Negative Staphylococci

Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology, 2006

An attempt was made to speciate 102 clinically significant isolates of coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) by a practical scheme adapted from various references. This scheme utilizes slide and tube coagulase test, urease test ornithine decarboxylase, novobiocin susceptibility and aerobic acid from mannose for assigning species group. Inclusion of one or two additional tests in a species group could identify the isolates to species level. Ninety eight (97%) isolates were conveniently identified as S. epidermidis (41%), S. saprophyticus (16.6%), S. haemolyticus (14.7%), S. hominis (14.7%), S. lugdunensis (4.9%), S. schleiferi (1.9%) and S. capitis (1.9%). Only four isolates were not identified to the species level, two of which were probably S. capitis subspecies ureolyticus /S. warneri/ S. simulans. Antibiotic susceptibility testing showed maximum resistance to ampicillin (89%) followed by cefotaxime (59%) with no resistance to vancomycin. The increasing recognition of pathogenic potential of CoNS and emergence of drug resistance amongst them denotes the need to adopt simple laboratory procedures to identify and understand the diversity of staphylococci isolated from clinical material.