Candida spp.: manual identification (reference method) and automated identification (Vitek system platform)

Mondelli AL (1), Niéro-Melo L (1), Bagagli E (2), Camargo CH (2), Bruder-Nascimento A (2), Sugizaki MF (2), Carneiro MV (1), Villas Boas PJF (1)

(1) Department of Internal Medicine, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista), Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil; (2) Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Botucatu Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista), Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil.

Abstract: Yeasts are becoming a common cause of nosocomial fungal infections that affect immunocompromised patients. Such infections can evolve into sepsis, whose mortality rate is high. This study aimed to evaluate the viability of Candida species identification by the automated system Vitek-Biomerieux (Durham, USA). Ninety-eight medical charts referencing the Candida spp. samples available for the study were retrospectively analyzed. The system Vitek-Biomerieux with Candida identification card is recommended for laboratory routine use and presents 80.6% agreement with the reference method. By separate analysis of species, 13.5% of C. parapsilosis samples differed from the reference method, while the Vitek system wrongly identified them as C. tropicalis, C. lusitaneae or asCandida albicans. C. glabrata presented a discrepancy of only one sample (25%), and was identified by Vitek as C. parapsilosis. C. guilliermondii also differed in only one sample (33.3%), being identified as Candida spp. All C. albicans, C. tropicalis andC. lusitaneae samples were identified correctly.

Key words: candidemia, Candida spp., identification, automated identification.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful for the support of FAMESP; the Clinical Hospital and Clinical Analysis Laboratory of Botucatu Medical School, and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology of the Botucatu Biosciences Institute, UNESP, Botucatu, SP.

COPYRIGHT

© CEVAP 2012

SUBMISSION STATUS

Received: March 28, 2012.

Accepted: June 15, 2012.

Abstract published online: June 29, 2012.

Full paper published online: August 31, 2012.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

FINANCIAL SOURCE

The Medical and Hospital Development Foundation (FAMESP) provided the financial grants.

ETHICS COMMITTEE APPROVAL

The present study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Botucatu Medical School, UNESP, under protocol number 2266/2006 - CEP.

CORRESPONDENCE TO

Alessandro Lia Mondelli, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, UNESP, Distrito de Rubião Júnior, s/n, 18618-970, Botucatu, SP, Brazil. Phone: +55 14 3811 6213. Email: dralessandro@hotmail.com or alessandro@fmb.unesp.br.