title: Performance of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry for Identifying Clinical Malassezia Isolates.
abstract: The genus Malassezia comprises commensal yeasts on human skin. These yeasts are involved in superficial infections but are also isolated in deeper infections, such as fungemia, particularly in certain at-risk patients, such as neonates or patients with parenteral nutrition catheters. Very little is known about Malassezia epidemiology and virulence. This is due mainly to the difficulty of distinguishing species. Currently, species identification is based on morphological and biochemical characteristics. Only molecular biology techniques identify species with certainty, but they are time-consuming and expensive. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) database for identifying Malassezia species by mass spectrometry. Eighty-five Malassezia isolates from patients in three French university hospitals were investigated. Each strain was identified by internal transcribed spacer sequencing. Forty-five strains of the six species Malassezia furfur, M. sympodialis, M. slooffiae, M. globosa, M. restricta, and M. pachydermatis allowed the creation of a MALDI-TOF database. Forty other strains were used to test this database. All strains were identified by our Malassezia database with log scores of >2.0, according to the manufacturer's criteria. Repeatability and reproducibility tests showed a coefficient of variation of the log score values of <10%. In conclusion, our new Malassezia database allows easy, fast, and reliable identification of Malassezia species. Implementation of this database will contribute to a better, more rapid identification of Malassezia species and will be helpful in gaining a better understanding of their epidemiology.
authors: Laboratoire de Parasitologie et de Mycologie Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France julie.denis@chru-strasbourg.fr.|Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA 7292, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
authors: Julie
authors: J
authors: Denis
authors: Structure de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Département de Microbiologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Nancy (CHU-Nancy), Hôpitaux de Brabois, Vandœuvre-les-Nancy, France.
authors: Marie
authors: M
authors: Machouart
authors: Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHU de Nantes, Nantes, France.|EA 1155 IICiMed, UFR de Pharmacie Nantes Atlantique Universités, Nantes, France.
authors: Florent
authors: F
authors: Morio
authors: Laboratoire de Parasitologie et de Mycologie Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.|Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA 7292, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
authors: Marcela
authors: M
authors: Sabou
authors: Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHU de Poitiers, Poitiers, France.
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Kauffmann-LaCroix
authors: Structure de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Département de Microbiologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Nancy (CHU-Nancy), Hôpitaux de Brabois, Vandœuvre-les-Nancy, France.
authors: Nelly
authors: N
authors: Contet-Audonneau
authors: Laboratoire de Parasitologie et de Mycologie Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.|Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA 7292, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
authors: Ermanno
authors: E
authors: Candolfi
authors: Laboratoire de Parasitologie et de Mycologie Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.|Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA 7292, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
authors: Valérie
authors: V
authors: Letscher-Bru
mesh_terms: D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005602:France; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008290:Malassezia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
keywords: ITS identification; ITS sequencing; MALDI-TOF; Malassezia; Malassezia identification