title: Comparison of MALDI-TOF MS, gene sequencing and the Vitek 2 for identification of seventy-three clinical isolates of enteropathogens.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to evaluate the analytical and practical performance of the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) compared to the sequencing method and the Vitek 2 system for identiﬁcation of enteropathogens in the clinical microbiology laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten type strains and 73 clinical isolates of enteropathogens representing eight genera were analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS. All isolates were also characterized by gene sequencing allowing interpretation of the results from MALDI-TOF MS. In addition, MALDI-TOF MS was compared with the Vitek 2 system for the identiﬁcation of ten isolates of Aeromonas and six of Salmonella.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As previously known, identification between Shigella and Escherichia coli is not possible to distinguish. MALDI-TOF MS produced the correct identifications for all other type strains and clinical isolates to the genus level. Fifteen Campylobacter jejuni, six Campylobacter coli, three Plesiomonas shigelloides, three Yersinia enterocolitica, two Clostridium difficile, one Vibrio parahaemolyticus, one Vibrio fluvialis, and one Vibrio cholera were all correctly identiﬁed to the species level. Genus and species identifications of ten Aeromonas and six Salmonella isolates by MALDI-TOF MS were consistent with those by the Vitek 2, but with much less cost and about ten times faster.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that MALDI-TOF MS is a powerful tool for fast, accurate and low-cost identiﬁcation of enteropathogens in the clinical microbiology laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Jiankai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Ruilian
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Xixia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Lingxiao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Changhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Che
keywords: Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS); clinical microbiology; enteropathogens; microbial identification