title: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry as a tool for rapid diagnosis of potentially toxigenic Corynebacterium species in the laboratory management of diphtheria-associated bacteria.
abstract: The rapid identification of the potentially toxigenic Corynebacterium species, C. diphtheriae, C. ulcerans and C. pseudotuberculosis is essential for diagnosis and treatment of diphtheria and diphtheria-like diseases. We used matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDIT-OF MS) in comparison with classical microbiological and molecular methods on 116 Corynebacterium strains. All 90 potentially toxigenic Corynebacterium strains collected by the German National Consiliary Laboratory on Diphtheria in a period of more than ten years were correctly identified by MALDI-TOF MS. We propose an algorithm for fast and reliable diagnosis of diphtheria incorporating MALDI-TOF MS, real-time tox PCR and Elek testing.
authors.affiliation: National Consiliary Laboratory for Diphtheria, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Konrad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boschert
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hörmansdorfer
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hogardt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sing
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D004167:Diphtheria Toxin / Q000032:analysis*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004167:Diphtheria Toxin