title: Performances and Reliability of Bruker Microflex LT and VITEK MS MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry Systems for the Identification of Clinical Microorganisms.
abstract: In clinical microbiology laboratories, routine microbial identification is mostly performed using culture based methodologies requiring 24 to 72 hours from culturing to identification. Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technology has been established as a cost effective, reliable, and faster alternative identification platform. In this study, we evaluated the reliability of the two available MALDI-TOF MS systems for their routine clinical level identification accuracy and efficiency in a clinical microbiology laboratory setting. A total of 1,341 routine phenotypically identified clinical bacterial and fungal isolates were selected and simultaneously analyzed using VITEK MS (bioMérieux, France) and Microflex LT (Bruker Diagnostics, Germany) MALDI-TOF MS systems. For any isolate that could not be identified with either of the systems and for any discordant result, 16S rDNA gene or ITS1/ITS2 sequencing was used. VITEK MS and Microflex LT correctly identified 1,303 (97.17%) and 1,298 (96.79%) isolates to the species level, respectively. In 114 (8.50%) isolates initial phenotypic identification was inaccurate. Both systems showed a similar identification efficiency and workflow robustness, and they were twice as more accurate compared to routine phenotypic identification in our sample pool. MALDITOF systems with their accuracy and robustness offer a good identification platform for routine clinical microbiology laboratories.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research & Development, Duzen Laboratories Group, 06680 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kivanc
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6254-3516
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bilecen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Duzen Laboratories Group, 34387 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gorkem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yaman
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Duzen Laboratories Group, 06680 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ciftci
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Duzen Laboratories Group, 06680 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yahya Rauf
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Laleli
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S