title: Rapid identification of M. abscessus and M. massiliense by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry with a comparison to sequencing methods and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Development of the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-TOF (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry method to rapidly identify Mycobacteria abscessus and Mycobacteria massiliense from M. abscessus complex in clinical microbiology laboratories.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 128 M. abscessus complex clinical isolates, sequence analysis identified 64 as M. massiliense and 64 as M. abscessus. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry with clustering analysis created a model to differentiate these two species. Multilocus sequence typing was used to confirm our model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using a model containing five signals, 100% species recognition was achieved for 50 strains of each species. The sequence type (ST) cluster of M. abscessus was distinct from the cluster of M. massiliense. ST1 was prevalent (59%) among M. abscessus isolates, and ST117 was common (41%) among M. massiliense isolates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Molecular methods are more costly and time-consuming and may not be available in the clinical microbial laboratory. Subsequently, MALDI-TOF analysis could be a rapid identification method in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Science & Biotechnology, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sung-Pin
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Shih-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Pei-Shan
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chu-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jau-Song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Po-Liang
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents