title: Cryptococcus species identification by multiplex PCR.
abstract: Members of the Cryptococcus species complex are encapsulated basidiomycetous yeasts, which can affect the central nervous system (CNS) and if untreated may cause meningitis. Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic pathogen causing infections mainly in immunocompromised individuals. Cryptococcus gattii is a primary pathogen responsible for a high incidence of cryptococcomas in the lung and brain and shows a delayed response to antifungal therapy. The differentiation between the two species is primarily based on their growth on and color change of canavanine - glycine-bromothymol blue agar (CGB). Since this test is not always reliable, a multiplex PCR to identify both Cryptococcus species using more than 130 samples was standardized and the results obtained compared to those with the CGB test, using the Crypto Check serotyping kit as the standard. The multiplex PCR was shown to be more specific than the CGB test, in that results obtained with it were in agreement with those from serotyping all the samples, while the data from the CGB test disagreed with 6 out of 131 samples.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Lusia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: Josiane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Faganello
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bassanesi
authors.forename: Marilene H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Vainstein
mesh_terms: D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000145:classification*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal