Mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF, a new tool which the medical mycologist cannot by-pass. Preliminary exploration of an application concerning the identification of yeasts isolated in a French University Hospital

In this short note, we introduce the mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF process and its applications, regarding conventional methods for identification of yeasts in the clinical mycology laboratory. To illustrate our purposes, we report a preliminary prospective experience, which have concerned during a limited period of time joint identification of all yeasts isolated in the routine medical laboratory from the Lille CHRU, by either conventional methods or mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF. Over the 750 strains tested the results were satisfactory with correlations 90-99%, the later score needing second runs for one method or the other. Few discrepancies were observed for Candida albicans/C. dubliniensis and C. inconspicua/C. norvegensis and C. parapsilosis wild and collection strains, which were all in favour of mass spectrometry, which was both more rapid and appropriate for species identification. These preliminary data confirm a simple application beside a high potential of mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF for identification of pathogen fungi. It seems necessary that medical mycologists should invest in this new method. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.