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Title: RAPID IDENTIFICATION OF CANDIDA ALBICANS DIRECTLY FROM YEAST POSITIVE BLOOD CULTURE BOTTLES BY FLUORESCENCE IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION USING PNA PROBES

Author
item RIGBY, SUSAN - APPL.BIOSYSTEMS-BEDFORD,M
item PROCOP, GARY - CLEVELAND CLINIC FND.
item WILSON, DEBORAH - UNIV.HOSPITAL-GERMANY
item HALL, GERALDINE - CLEVELAND CLINIC FND.
item HAASE, GERHARD - CLEVELAND CLINIC FND.
item Kurtzman, Cletus
item OLIVEIRA, KENNETH - APPLIED BIOSYSTEMS
item HYLDIG-NIELSEN, JENS - APPLIED BIOSYSTEMS
item COULL, JAMES - APPLIED BIOSYSTEMS
item STENDER, HENRIK - APPLIED BIOSYSTEMS

Submitted to: American Society for Microbiology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/23/2002
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A new fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method using peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes for identification of Candida albicans directly from yeast-positive blood culture bottles is described. The test (C. albicans PNA FISH) is based on a fluorescein-labeled PNA probe targeting C. albicans 26S rRNA. The PNA probe is added to smears fixed onto microscope slides and hybridized for 90 min at 55 degrees C. Unhybridized PNA probe is removed by washing and the smears are examined by fluorescence microscopy. The specificity was confirmed using 23 reference strains representing phylogenetically related yeast species and 148 clinical isolates covering the clinically most significant yeast species, includine C. dubliniensis, C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis. The performance of C. albicans PNA FISH as a diagnostic test was evaluated using 33 yeast-positive blood culture bottles as compared to results obtained by the standard methods and showed 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity. It is concluded that this 2.5-hour method for definitive identification of C. albicans directly from yeast-positive blood culture bottles provides important information for optimal antifungal therapy and patient management.